Behind the Scenes - The Relaunch of Swarovskioptik.com

Interview with Arkadiusz Gryczka, Senior Developer at Bright IT

Our last interview with Senior Developer Arkadiusz Gryczka explored how IT has evolved over the past two decades and how these developments have changed the UI/UX landscape. Those changes have, of course, impacted how new systems are created, implemented, and launched. We had the opportunity to sit down with Gryczka to discuss one of his latest and most prominent projects with Swarovski Optik.

Due to the company's good standing and reputation, it was imperative to deliver a website that mirrored their dedication to quality and craftsmanship while maintaining an intuitive UI. Swarovski Optik is one of the world's leading manufacturers for high position, long range optical instruments for hunters, birders and outdoor enthusiasts, so keeping the UI approachable while appealing to a broad range of customers was another important task for the team.

This project's unique nature allowed us to implement the ideal headless and serverless system for Swarovski Optik so that they could handle a large volume of users without databases getting bogged down. Because the system needed to offer straightforward but robust solutions, we exploited every option before deciding to go with the headless, serverless approach.

From a development perspective, what were the unique needs for the Swarovski Optik project?

Arkadiusz Gryczka: Their needs are rather distinctive because it's a brand with such a reputation for quality that their online presence needs to match that while also appealing to a wide range of customers. Also, because they produce so many different optical equipment pieces, we needed to keep the UI simple, so we prepared a completely new manageable website using headless CMS, seamlessly integrated with an e-shop powered by a headless commerce platform.

Who were your technology partners on this project, and why did you choose to work with them?

AG: Contentful is the headless management platform that we used to create, manage, and publish content, and commercetools is the headless ecommerce platform. Both of these platforms are cloud-native and API first, which aligned with our vision for the whole system. Our third tech partner is Amazon Web Services. We utilized their infrastructure and services to deliver solutions that quickly scale in the cloud. Swarovski Optik is such a recognized brand we knew we needed a system that could handle large volumes. 

Additionally, both Contentful and commercetools gave us exactly what we needed; not too little, not too much. It's essential to recognize how robust your system needs to be without going overboard. We developed a simple but powerful platform for content management accessible via GraphQL API and an advanced ecommerce platform that effectively integrates with our services. These also efficiently integrate with other parts of the system and external services with out-of-the-box integration for payment providers and payment methods.

What have your experiences been working with these partners?

AG: During this project, I primarily worked with commercetools, and I can say it's been a remarkably positive experience. Their architecture and solutions are flexible and easy to integrate with additional services and parts of the system. Their API is well defined and consistent, which allows you to use both asynchronous and synchronous communication. Of course, nothing is perfect, and we did encounter some problems as some features were not yet fully implemented. Still, commercetools is a fairly well-developed, innovative system which is why we ultimately chose them for the relaunch of the Swarovski Optik website and online shop.

How do these systems compare to older or more traditional CMS/ Software vendors?

AG: That's a comparison of two entirely different eras, but it is an interesting question. More traditional CMS's were designed years ago and attempted to fulfill existing needs using the technology available at the time. Most of these systems were monolithic and intended to be used as all-in-one solutions. Not to say there's no place for these systems in the modern era, and undoubtedly many projects could still use and implement them just fine. But for more sophisticated projects using new frontend technologies allows us to develop multiple well-defined, separate systems that offer comprehensive solutions that can integrate everything together. Also, that's just my opinion, and I tend to lean towards simple, clean solutions because it makes everything more predictable, which I prefer. 

Who would benefit from using Contentful / commercetools?

AG: From a developer's standpoint, both platforms offer robust solutions, but they can also present challenges. In some ways, they are tricky because many features are relatively new, and we use new frameworks to integrate everything. That said, I would recommend them in projects where cloud-based solutions create an advantage from a business perspective and when utilizing cutting-edge technology is imperative. They are incredible platforms, but it doesn't make sense to use them for every project, and that's up to the development teams to decide ultimately.

What are your predictions for emerging trends to look out for?

AG: I don't expect any significant revolution in sectors like web development as these are established and function at a high-level already. But we keep seeing entirely new concepts emerging that are based on the internet. Blockchain, the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and the need for more robust cybersecurity are all trends we've seen come out and will probably continue to evolve. And like everything, there's perhaps some player that will come along and change everything as the internet did in the first place.

How can developers prepare themselves for the future and stay up-to-date?

AG: It's no longer a big deal to become a programmer. Programming languages and technology are only tools, but you will never become a great developer without being interested in business. It's essential to understand business to deliver a product your client wants or needs. The past year has shown us how quickly the market can change, and some areas are out while others have swiftly developed though two years ago, no one would have imagined them to do so. For most developers or even general IT people, their work's technical aspect becomes more important than why their service is needed. So, of course, you have to stay up to date with every new idea and trend from a technical perspective and continue to learn the latest frameworks, tools, languages, etc. But you also have to analyze your work from a business perspective and maintain relevance, so you're not left with services that no one needs.

The comprehensive services of Bright IT for the relaunch

The relaunch of the Swarovski Optics website and e-shop has allowed them to deliver exceptional frontend usability while maintaining a dynamic cloud-based backend. Through comprehensive analysis and the utilization of targeted partners, Bright IT delivered a clean, intuitive web experience for Swarovski Optik’s broad range of customers while offering them tailored IT solutions for their unique needs. Throughout the entire project Bright IT aimed to target Swarovski Optik’s distinct needs and balance their systems architecture offering cutting-edge technological solutions without overburdening their backend.