Design and development of the iSocial platform
We designed and developed the apps that help people experiencing social exclusion keep their essential documents safe and stay in touch with the social workers supporting them.
Native design and development with social impact
Two apps, one platform: Nidus and iSocial Pro
Fundació iSocial is a non-profit that creates social projects. Its platform has two main products: Nidus, for people experiencing social exclusion, and iSocial Pro, for the social workers supporting them.
inQbarna designed the experience and built the native apps for iOS and Android. Our partner Crowd built the backend, the back office and the web counterpart. The project started as a digital safe and keeps growing, with new tools added as the needs of the people using it change.
THE CHALLENGE
Building for people who can't afford to lose anything
People living on the street usually carry their documents with them: passport, health card, identity papers. Losing them makes recovery very hard, and that loss blocks access to the very services they need. The app was born as a digital safe for those documents and as a way to connect each person with the professionals helping them with health, legal or any other matters.
The people who use Nidus come from many countries and may not speak the local language. They live on the street, have very limited means of communication and some can't read. At the same time, their information is highly sensitive and has to be protected. The challenge was to build something very secure and, at the same time, very simple.
- Understand users with very different languages, literacy levels and living conditions, and design an interface that works for all of them.
- Make the app very secure without making it hard to use: protected access, offline availability of documents and user control over their own data.
- Build an AI Assistant that offers company, conversation and useful tools to people in moments of distress, without giving health advice or creating dependence on the tool.
OUR SOLUTION
Simple for the user, secure by default
We started with in-depth UX/UI research on the people the app is for, followed by a long definition phase to decide what the product should and shouldn't do. From there, we designed an interface based on a clear visual language and direct flows, so it can be used by people with very different backgrounds and abilities.
Security is part of the experience rather than something layered on top: two-factor authentication, biometrics, offline access to documents and account deletion with a clear retention policy, all designed to stay out of the user's way.
- Digital safe: documents stored securely and available whenever the person needs them, even offline.
- Easy-to-use security: 2FA, biometric access and account deletion with retention policy.
- Direct chat with the professionals supporting each person, without relying on a phone number.
One system, four brands
A design system built for white-label
The platform is not a single app. Nidus and iSocial Pro are its main products, and the same foundation powers two white-label versions: Flapp, aimed at a younger audience, and meSocial, tied to a project of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
Our design team built a design system that lets us work with four brands at once while keeping a consistent, accessible and maintainable experience. A feature designed once reaches all brands.
AI with boundaries
An assistant that accompanies without replacing people
The AI Assistant was one of the most delicate parts of the project. It's used by people going through difficult moments, often alone and at night, when their social worker isn't available. It had to be genuinely useful while knowing where to stop: it doesn't give health advice or create dependence, and it always points the person back toward the professional who supports them.
That's why we designed it as a bridge to professionals, not a replacement for them. It helps prepare what the person wants to say or do, but the decisions and the important conversations stay in human hands.
- Keeps the person company and offers a safe space to talk during a hard moment.
- Remembers important things and helps schedule appointments on the calendar.
- Drafts messages for the person to send to their social worker.
- Finds and explains local resources and practical guides.
THE PROCESS
From understanding the user to a platform that keeps growing
Before designing a single screen, we spent a lot of time understanding the people the app is for and defining what the product should be. The project is still active: we keep adding features and adapting the platform to what its users need.
Research and definition
Initial phase
In-depth UX/UI research on the users and a long phase to define the scope.
Design
Pre-launch
Design system and interface for a multi-brand platform, with a focus on accessibility and simplicity.
Development
First release
Digital safe on iOS and Android, followed by security, chat and the AI Assistant.
Continuous evolution
Ongoing
Continuous addition of features and adaptation to the users' needs.
Research and definition
Initial phase
In-depth UX/UI research on the users and a long phase to define the scope.
Design
Pre-launch
Design system and interface for a multi-brand platform, with a focus on accessibility and simplicity.
Development
First release
Digital safe on iOS and Android, followed by security, chat and the AI Assistant.
Continuous evolution
Ongoing
Continuous addition of features and adaptation to the users' needs.
IMPACT & RESULTS
Technology that makes a difference where it matters most
Nidus keeps a person's most important documents safe and connected to the professionals helping them, while iSocial Pro gives those professionals a tool to support people more efficiently. The platform is live on iOS and Android and keeps evolving with new features based on how people actually use it.
4 brands, 1 design system
Nidus, iSocial Pro, Flapp and meSocial share a design foundation built for white-label use.
iOS and Android
Native apps for both platforms, with documents available offline.
Secure and accessible
2FA, biometrics and a retention policy for deleted accounts, in an interface designed for people with very different abilities.
TECHNOLOGIES USED
Native apps built for security and maintainability
Native apps for iOS and Android built by inQbarna, connected to a backend and a back office built by our partner Crowd.
iOS
Chat
Infrastructure & analytics
Backend
THE PRODUCT IN ACTION
Designed for people, not for screens
From the digital safe to the AI Assistant, every screen follows the same principle: say one thing clearly and make the next step obvious.
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