Bubble.io
After over a decade as the world's leading no-code platform, the team at Bubble decided to try something new: hiring one of their own agencies to completely rebuild their developer certification platform using Bubble.
With their internal team at capacity with other projects, Bubble released an RFP in early 2024 to find an external agency partner to help rebuild their Bubble Developer Certification exam. After evaluating proposals from 8 different Gold agency partners, they decided to partner with Airdev for the project.
The results?
- A new exam platform rebuilt in just 3 months – done without taking the exam offline
- A more reliable and polished exam with a noticeably better user experience
- A flexible platform enabling continuous enhancements and iterations without user disruption
The OBJEctive
When Bubble launched its Bubble Developer Certification exam in July 2023, their aim was to establish a rigorous, universal standard for professional Bubble Developers. This was a critical step to bring credibility and transparency to the no-code market and to show who is proficient at Bubble.
But despite the positive reception from professional Bubble Developers and employers looking to hire them, they had to address numerous issues with the third-party platform that hosted the exam, including UX problems, exam crashes, and administrative and data reporting frustrations.
“We couldn’t get it wrong. If the exam isn’t administered well, then nobody will know who’s truly proficient and that’s damaging to the overall ecosystem. The software we were using kind of worked, but we needed more control for efficient bug fixes and feature integrations. That’s when we realized that if we wanted our certification to become the reputable program we envisioned, we needed to custom-build it on Bubble.” - Jeremy Alexander, Bubble Education Team
The SOLUTION
Once the decision to rebuild was made, Bubble knew they wanted to move quickly. However, all of their in-house Bubble Developers were already allocated to other prioritized projects.
“This is when we realized we have all these agencies building on Bubble, we have an RFP system, we might as well ‘eat our own dog food’ and use it.” - Alexander
To keep the project moving forward, Bubble created an RFP to find a partner for their project. They shared a detailed scope of work with potential agencies and were clear about the budget.
“We received 8 proposals from Gold agency partners and spoke to each of them. What really stood out about Airdev was just how much they understood what we were looking for. As we discussed the project details, they accurately interpreted and explained how they would build it, which aligned with how we would have done it in-house. This clarity was key in our decision to hire Airdev.” - Alexander
Airdev’s Approach:
In early 2024, Bubble and Airdev swiftly began working towards a 3-month launch goal. Airdev's project manager addressed Bubble's frontend and backend functionality needs, offering new feature/UX ideas based on prior quiz and form app experience. Having taken the Bubble Developer Certification exam themselves, Airdev also drew on firsthand experience to create the best exam possible for certifying Bubblers.
“This project was especially meaningful to us. We’ve spent the last decade intentionally building a distinctive Bubble agency and pushing the boundaries of what Bubble can do, so it meant a lot for Bubble to trust us to build this platform. It was also gratifying to create something that brings transparency and trust to the Bubble ecosystem, and to give Bubblers the testing experience they deserve.” - Andrew Haller, Co-founder and co-CEO of Airdev
Within 4 days, Airdev turned these requirements and ideas into detailed mockups and weekly development plans, kickstarting the build process.
“I could tell Airdev knew what it was doing and could deliver quickly. But beyond that, I could trust everything would be handled smoothly. They provided detailed insights on integrating with our existing app and infrastructure, and held weekly update meetings that included recordings to keep us informed. The process couldn’t have gone smoother. Any issues that arose were quickly addressed by their team.” - Alexander
THE RESULT
In just 3 months, Airdev helped Bubble totally rebuild and launch their new Bubble Developer Certification exam experience – entirely on their own platform. The new application provides exam takers with a much more performant, reliable, and flexible experience, most importantly reducing the exam crash rate from 5% to zero.
“People who saw both platforms immediately noticed the improvement. The new experience is vastly better, offering more control and visibility for new developers. Feedback has been very positive, with everyone excited about the new platform's look and feel. It integrates well with our current styling, unlike the old platform, giving us a solid foundation for future development.” - Alexander
And for Bubble’s education team, who previously lacked the tools to improve the exam iteratively and quickly, they can now continuously add questions without disrupting current test-takers, further enhancing the quality of the exam and better supporting the entire no-code ecosystem. Read more about their experience on the Bubble blog.
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