Blog Archives

Camp Store Every overnight camp has a store (perhaps you call it “tuck shop” or “canteen”?). You would be hard-pressed to find a camp that does not sell something to their campers. Whether it be clothing, snacks, or items needed at camp, … Continue reading →

Expanded Gender in CampBrain After years of research and months of development, the expanded gender feature will be released in CampBrain today. The story of gender in CampBrain has a long and winding road. Before implementing our solution, we had … Continue reading →

We take a look at Camp White Pine’s experience with the health center module and learn some best practices.

Read more about the DNS issues from October 12, 2016

We released the new Staff module in our Web version yesterday. Our Development Team did not just want to re-create the same experience from the Desktop version – we knew we could improve upon it and it would mean more time and energy to analyse and consider various options. I don’t think I am exaggerating when I say they reviewed hundreds of staff applications. This part was key to getting the online application structure and experience top-notch. That hard work meant they were able to identify the commonalities and structure appropriate sections, ultimately making the applicant's job a pleasure.

We released our new camper medical module recently in the Web version. It was a lot of work but it is a beautiful piece. With any feature or module, there is an incredible amount of research, analysis and discussion with camps….but the medical module received more than its fair share! I feel like the team analysed hundreds of health forms, categorizing all types of medical data and analysing the various styles across our diverse base of camps. Read more...

Building software that people love to use is often more about the attention to detail on the small features than the “flashy” big features. I am the first to admit that the “flashy” features can have a lot of sway in a prospective demo…but they are not the key to the long term happiness of the camp administrator and parent. Rather, long term happiness is won in the trenches of the small features – the small ways in which those bigger features work and the thoughtful, less obvious features that make a difference in someone’s day.

Software development and use is a collection of small nuances that can make one's life much more pleasant ...and our Dev crew works hard to hit those nuances, reduce those clicks and make the experience a more pleasurable one for parents and camp staff. I am confident there is much enjoyment to be had from this new Discount feature.

The Cabinizer. I have always loved it. The simplicity, the usefulness, the efficiency. Most camps, overnight and day, have some form of grouping to do, either putting the campers into their cabins or their weekly groups. And, for most camps, it is an extremely important task, wanting to get just the right mix in each cabin or group.