Humanoo is a trusted German Health & Wellbeing platform for companies and insurance providers worldwide. Their digital health platform supports over 1000 companies and more than 20 European insurance firms, including Helsana, Nürnberger Versicherung, die Bayerishe, Korian, and Ageas.
Humanoo offers data-driven health management solutions that include over 3,000 personalized coaching, fitness programs, and medical integration to promote employee and customer wellbeing.
In 2018, Humanoo partnered with AOK Bayern to develop Humanoo Kids, a mobile app designed specifically for parents to manage their children's health and development from birth to age 6.
Year
2018, 2024
Country
Germany
Team
5 people
Commits
5619
Development
60 weeks
Challenges
Stormotion had already been working with Humanoo since 2018.
Back then, the company required the cross-platform Humanoo Kids app to include:
1. Child development tracking to monitor child development milestones, vaccinations, and medical appointments.
2. A user-friendly interface with custom achievements, photos and video recording features, and easy access to helpful content.
3. Integration with AOK’s insurance services, combining health management with insurance benefits.
4. A custom Content Management System (CMS) to manage and update content.
5. Secure local storage of sensitive data, such as children’s photos and videos, on users' devices to protect privacy.
We released the initial version of the app in 2018, and this long-term partnership helped us understand the app’s architecture and user needs when Humanoo approached us several years later.
In 2024, Humanoo contacted us to help with two problems. First, the app had a lot of technical debt. Second, it needed to comply with the EU accessibility laws and guidelines.
The primary challenges were:
1. Updating and modernizing the existing legacy codebase that had accumulated technical debt.
2. Ensuring the app complied with the EU accessibility laws and other regulatory standards to provide an inclusive user experience and meet insurance partner requirements.
3. Implementing accessibility features that support users with diverse needs, including flexible text scaling, screen reader support, adequate component labeling, and alternative communication methods to improve usability for all parents.
These challenges demanded a careful, incremental approach to codebase renewal and accessibility integration, balancing technical complexity with user-centric goals.
Process
The Humanoo Kids project followed a structured development lifecycle, from Discovery and Design to Development and QA Testing. The project’s team included 1 Developer, 2 QA Engineers, 1 UI/UX Designer, and 1 Project Manager.
A key part of the process was to analyze the German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG), Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the accessibility requirements for products and services, and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.
Then, we put together important mobile app requirements into a reusable framework that was used in the development process.
Our team used an Agile incremental development strategy, breaking the project into isolated feature increments. This allowed for continuous progress visibility and early-stage testing, avoiding problems associated with large-scale single-iteration updates.
This step-by-step process allowed the client to see real progress early on and made accessibility-focused QA testing possible.
Pre-Project - 4 Weeks
Design - 8 Weeks
Agile Development - 38 Weeks
QA & Testing - 10 Weeks
Solution
Key features of the Humanoo Kids app released in 2018 included:
1. Users log in with their insurance number to access age-specific content.
2. Custom-built Content Management System enabling content management and updates.
3. Local storage of sensitive data, such as children’s photos and videos, on devices, ensuring privacy by avoiding cloud storage. We implemented clear communication with users to manage permissions and the use of offline data features.
4. Health calendar and developmental milestone tracking to support parents in managing their children’s health journeys.
5. Built-in calendar to add vaccinations and appointments, as well as synchronization with the smartphone’s native calendar.
6. A doctor search function, allowing parents to find pediatricians and related specialists.
In 2024, the project underwent a significant update to modernize the legacy codebase and align with the latest regulatory requirements.
Key developments included:
1. Modernized the legacy codebase using an incremental, feature-based development strategy.
2. Implemented flexible text resizing, ensuring UI integrity across device sizes and orientations.
3. Provided full screen reader and voiceover support on iOS and Android platforms.
4. Added accurate semantic labeling of UI components for assistive technology navigation.
5. Introduced alternative communication channels, such as audio cues.
6. Enhanced UI to support landscape orientation and adaptive layouts.
This combination of features from 2018 and modernization efforts in 2024 made the Humanoo Kids app an accessible tool for supporting parents in children’s health management.
Success for Humanoo Kids from a:
Project Manager Perspective
Our team worked closely with the client, carefully planning and coordinating the integration of new accessibility features and modernization improvements. We divided the work scope into manageable increments and agreed with Humanoo on the scope for each release.
Additionally, we developed a detailed internal accessibility guide based on our findings during the Humanoo Kids project. We keep this document up to date as a valuable resource for future projects.
Developer Perspective
Working with the existing codebase required attention to detail and in-depth analysis. Before developing new functionalities, the team addressed technical debt, updated APIs and third-party tools, and reviewed the app’s architecture.
This approach allowed us to identify and optimize inefficient logic while preserving the integrity of the original features. A key aspect of this process involved balancing modernization with accessibility improvements.
UI/UX Perspective
Our designer created an accessible interface that met both the strict accessibility standards and the client’s requirements. By introducing scalable text, voiceover and screen reader support, and clear labeling, we made the app accessible for all users.
We also ensured the app adapts to different screen sizes and orientations, making it easy to use on any device.
QA Perspective
Our QA team played a key role in ensuring the app met strict European accessibility standards. They expanded the range of test devices and ran accessibility checks on the app. They also tested all modernization work to ensure that fixing technical debt didn’t introduce any new issues.
DevOps Perspective
We established and maintained automated CI/CD pipelines, ensuring efficient integration and build processes. This automation has accelerated our deployment process and allowed our team to reallocate their time to development initiatives, reducing their involvement in manual tasks.
Business and Roadmap Perspective
The project’s modernization and focus on accessibility positioned Humanoo Kids as a competitive, inclusive health app for parents managing their children's well-being. Today, 93% of users open the app every week, a clear sign of its value and usability.
The reusable frameworks and scalable architecture create opportunities for future updates that align with changing regulations and user needs.
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