Case study: Coach in a BOX

The Plan

We entered the project at a stage where flexibility and clear communication were key. Many elements were still evolving, requiring an agile and responsive approach. We focused on the client’s immediate priorities while keeping future enhancements in mind.

We are very happy with the results of Coditive work. From project management to execution, it was a great experience.

Dominik Schulten
CEO of Zedar Coaching Systems

The platform was designed to support both German and English, with the potential for expansion into additional languages. Working with the Coach in a BOX team, our frontend designers improved the user experience while keeping the original designs provided by the client – and their overall look and vision – mostly intact.

Key Features

The platform includes several essential features designed to enhance the coaching experience and streamline team collaboration. Below are the key components that make up the system:

1. Dashboard:
   The “dashboard” serves as the central hub for users to manage their coaching path. For users, it’s the main view. Team leaders can adjust team settings, configure the coaching path, and launch sessions. The design is optimized for large displays, such as conference room TVs. Team members can view all the details but are in “read-only” mode.
2. Session View:
   The Coach in a BOX team prepares interactive Adobe Captivate LMS sessions that are displayed within the platform. These sessions, along with various labels, images, and settings, need to be manageable via the WordPress admin interface.

Execution

Given the project requirements and the existing setup, we developed a custom plugin to meet the needs. Our goal was to create a seamless integration with the existing WordPress environment while ensuring scalability for future enhancements. Since the platform was intended to evolve, we prioritized a modular architecture that would allow for easy expansion.

We started with a simple login component, implemented as a shortcode that could be used in multiple locations on the existing page. This component also served as a gate for users attempting to access the dashboard without logging in.

While the frontend work was relatively straightforward, the backend required more complex development. We needed to integrate with an external database to handle user login validation and manage data. This setup would also be essential for future modules, as additional features such as user progress tracking and team analytics were expected to be introduced later. During this phase, we also made some improvements to the database structure, as the data was not yet in use, ensuring that it could accommodate future scalability and performance optimizations.

Development

The main frontend feature was the “dashboard” view, where team members could manage and track their coaching sessions. To deliver the initial version, we simplified the design, ensuring scalability for future iterations. We used Vue.js to build the necessary components and manage data via stores. The platform distinguishes between “team leaders” (who can edit team settings) and “team members” (in read-only mode), and backend features were set up accordingly.

The platform’s frontend, built with Vue.js, delivers a streamlined coaching experience, while seamless Adobe Captivate integration ensures effective session tracking and data synchronization.

Coaching Sessions

Coaching sessions were created in Adobe Captivate and exported as standalone HTML files. Our challenge was to incorporate these HTML files in a way that allowed them to communicate with the backend and preserve the functionality of the Adobe assets. The assets were included using relative paths, which could have led to issues, but we managed to overcome this.

To enable session progress tracking, we implemented communication with the backend to save the user’s current session step, ensuring that users could resume where they left off. This data was also displayed in the main view, showing which steps had been completed.

Although Adobe Captivate has limitations in terms of customization, with some clever setup on both ends, we successfully facilitated two-way communication—saving data to the database and ensuring sessions operated correctly based on the provided progress data.

Admin Interface

We also created a dedicated section within the WordPress admin area for managing coaching sessions. This allows administrators to update session files easily, without the need for FTP access.

The Result

In the end, we delivered a custom plugin for the self-coaching platform. The project was completed on time, enabling the Coach in a BOX team to showcase the online platform at the Learntec exhibition.

Coditive Team delivered even more than we expected to make the platform ready for our exhibition. And most importantly our potential customers really gave great feedback during our exhibition. Your work really gave our product a boost.

Dominik Schulten
CEO of Zedar Coaching Systems

This was our first experience working with Adobe Captivate from a developer’s perspective. We learned that while Captivate can be challenging, it is manageable with careful handling.

Some might classify this as an MVP, which is understandable given the startup nature of Coach in a BOX. The project required us to balance creating robust solutions (which often take more time to perfect) with ensuring that the client’s budget was spent wisely on features that were needed in the short term, without over-investing in areas that could evolve over time.

A Rewarding Collaboration and Future Prospects

Working with the Coach in a BOX team was a truly rewarding experience. Their clear vision, openness to collaboration, and commitment to improving team dynamics made the project both engaging and fulfilling. We appreciated the opportunity to contribute to their innovative approach to workplace coaching and enjoyed the creative and technical challenges that came with building the platform.

We are grateful for the trust they placed in us and the strong partnership we developed throughout the project. It was inspiring to work alongside a team so dedicated to making a meaningful impact. We look forward to the possibility of future collaborations and are excited to see how Coach in a BOX continues to evolve and expand its reach.