It’s that time of the year again when we kick off our business shoes and exchange them for something a bit more vacation-ready. But before we wrap up, it’s apt to celebrate the victories of 2022 and give credit where it’s due. At this year’s New Media x Swipe iX Story Awards, our Swipers raked in quite a few prizes, and we’re excited to spread the news and celebrate our individual and team category winners.
Marianne de Vos, UX/UI Designer at Swipe iX, demonstrated imagination, innovation, technical skill and an ability to translate brand values into visual content.
“MJ is innovative and imaginative in her delivery. She comes up with incredible design that delights clients, and is a true professional and master of her craft.”
Lourens de Villiers, Head of Frontend Development, not only excelled at the daily graft, but also stepped in to help when needed, while ensuring knowledge-sharing in the team.
“Lourens is everyone’s frontend go-to when there is an issue. His development skills and expertise are unparalleled, and he is also a kind and thoughtful team lead.”
Theo Ferreira, Backend Development Manager, went above and beyond in tackling his day-to-day work, always eager to lend a hand and inspire knowledge-sharing within the wider team.
“Theo is a phenomenal backend developer and has really levelled up this year. Not only is he managing and leading the other backend developers, but he is involved with and developing on multiple projects and technologies and always delivers exceptional work.”
Rasool Booley, Junior QA Tester, exemplified the Swipe spirit by continuously raising the bar to ensure all Swipe products are of superior quality, combing through each meticulously throughout the production cycle.
“Rasool and quality assurance go hand in hand. He is an extraordinary tester and team member with a positive attitude that is infectious.”
Jess Leadbetter, Head Operations Manager, kept her team on track and running smoothly while adhering to timelines and budgetary targets.
“Jess is the glue that holds Swipe together. The sheer volume of entries [nominations] she received was just heartwarming. Jess clearly makes a big impact on the Swipe business.”
Sanja Heunis, Technical Business Analyst, met the award criteria to a tee:
“Sanja clearly loves what she does. When she says she’ll do something, you can bet she’ll deliver a superior product on time. And with a smile. She’s understated, never boastful, and always gives credit to her team members.”
Gaynor Johnson, Head of Innovation, helped create a space for all to be heard. She listened first, freely shared her ideas and knowledge while helping others find their voice, was always willing to ask questions (even the difficult ones), and kept an open mind in order to adapt and grow.
“Gaynor has managed to pull the innovation team close together, ensuring everyone has a voice and that it can be heard. She’s always open to hearing other views on where to drive the product. While she’ll stand her ground if she believes it’s the right thing to do, she isn’t scared to embrace change and look at things from a different perspective.”
JP Barnard, Head of Technical Operations, always strives to be better. He consistently looked for opportunities to learn and grow, exceeded expectations, drove a culture of excellence, and acknowledged and celebrated excellent work.
“JP has levelled up in the way he manages teams and now also coaches team managers. He is meticulous in researching all options and does it with positive energy, even though he is pulled in multiple directions all day.”
Dedicated to the team that demonstrated superior digital operational abilities by adding value to a project, the Swipe Voting Team was a clear winner with its clear vision for value delivery and positive impact on business results.
“The operations required to run voting is incredibly cumbersome and the team needs to work together like a machine. In voting, we haven’t had an incident in the four years since we launched the system.”
Not surprisingly, the GeneFit team won this award for their work in building and enhancing the innovative GeneFit system, which combines genetic testing, physiological data and tech to improve athletic performance.
“For GeneFit, Flutter was the perfect fit, since it's powerful and does not require any consideration for SEO or general public accessibility. It was also the perfect opportunity to upskill two of our developers who thoroughly enjoyed the (quite steep) learning curve.”
GeneFit were again winners for the excellent structure, navigation, visual design, interactivity and overall app experience.
“The app is beautifully designed, solidly executed and extremely functional. Better yet, it was developed from one code base, meaning both iOS and Android users receive the same experience and feature, no exceptions.”
Crater, New Media x Swipe iX’s social media insights tool, won this award for the best use of research, insights and ideation across multiple platforms, allowing New Medians access to crucial data that ultimately informs and drives strategy, creation and distribution.
“Crater truly does use data in a unique way within New Media's business. Navigating the ever-changing social media landscape and responding to erratic API updates is a feat this team has navigated with professionalism and enthusiasm!”
We’re proud of all our Swipers and the hard work they put into building incredible products in record time. Each member of the Swipe iX team plays an invaluable role in keeping the cogs turning and we thank not just our award winners, but our entire all-star team, for the incredible work they deliver year on year. Here’s to all our Swipers – may we continue to celebrate our victories, learn from our mistakes and raise the bar!
Managing Director & Chief Technology Officer