GresCup

Our client is a forward-thinking startup based in Spain, with a vision to transform how people engage and compete in online social environments. With a background in digital marketing and a keen sense for youth trends, their team recognized a gap in the market for a truly interactive and fair platform centered around themed photo contests. They sought to build a space where users could showcase their creativity, participate in diverse challenges, and be rewarded for their engagement—not just with likes, but with a unique dual-points voting system. Their ambition extended beyond Spain, aiming to make the platform easily adaptable for audiences across Europe and Latin America, with robust localization and scalable infrastructure from day one.

The core challenge was to design and deliver a social platform that offered more than a typical voting app—one that felt fresh, inclusive, and inherently fair. The client wanted users to be able to upload photos and compete in a variety of themed contests, from seasonal events to pop culture trends. Voting needed to be fun and strategic, using two types of points: stars for everyday engagement and “super likes” (fuegos) for higher impact. The platform also needed a strong moderation framework, customizable profile features, and advanced admin controls for managing themes, campaigns, and advertising. From the start, the objective was to ensure a seamless, mobile-first experience that could be easily localized and expanded internationally, supporting both user acquisition and brand partnerships.

Our process began with a deep discovery phase, working hand-in-hand with the client to understand their goals, audience, and growth plans. We facilitated a series of collaborative workshops, using Miro and other remote tools to map user journeys, define technical requirements, and co-create detailed wireframes. Design decisions were guided by feedback cycles and rapid prototyping, allowing us to iterate on the app’s structure, voting logic, and UI components. We developed the backend to support flexible contest scheduling, multi-country logic, and robust data handling for voting and analytics. Special attention was given to image handling and privacy, including configurable data retention and GDPR compliance. Throughout, we maintained an agile workflow—prioritizing early validation, transparent progress updates, and ongoing adaptation to the client’s evolving vision.

The final product, Grescup, is a vibrant and user-centric platform that brings the excitement of themed photo contests to mobile users. With both monthly and weekly challenges, dual-point voting, and a fully customizable user profile system, the app encourages engagement, creativity, and community. Admin tools allow for easy campaign management, analytics reporting, and dynamic theme scheduling, giving the client full control over content and monetization. Built with internationalization in mind, Grescup is ready for rollout in new markets, supporting localization and variable voting strategies per country. Early user feedback highlighted the intuitive interface and addictive contest format, positioning the app for rapid adoption and long-term growth in the digital social space.