Learning app engineering and modernization

Noggin

Preschool learning platform for ViacomCBS and Nickelodeon

2019 - 2021

ViacomCBS / Nickelodeon

iOS, Android, Apple TV

Project overview

Noggin combined preschool learning activities, educational video, and familiar Nickelodeon characters in a subscription product for families.

We maintained and extended the iOS, Android, and Apple TV applications as part of the ViacomCBS product organization. The engagement covered platform updates, learning features, content integration, release quality, and production support.

Engineering focused on DRM-protected playback, offline learning content, COPPA-aware data handling, parental subscription management, progress tracking, and age-appropriate interaction across supported devices.

10M+

Global Downloads

Platforms

500+

Learning Activities

Our role

Technical contributions and key deliverables

Native Mobile Development

Maintained and evolved existing iOS codebase using Swift and Objective-C with MVVM architecture for scalable, testable application structure with reactive programming patterns
Maintained and evolved existing Android codebase using Kotlin and Java with modern architecture components, ExoPlayer integration, and coroutine-based async operations
Updated and optimized video player components to meet evolving DRM requirements including FairPlay (iOS/tvOS) and Widevine (Android) compliance with kid-safe streaming features
Implemented offline downloads for learning content with storage optimization, expiration management, and background sync for a consistent educational experience

Enterprise Collaboration

Coordinated directly with ViacomCBS education and content teams across Nickelodeon preschool division for synchronized content releases and educational curriculum alignment
Participated in bi-weekly agile sprint cycles, daily standups, sprint planning, and retrospectives within the client's scaled agile framework (SAFe)
Collaborated comprehensively with QA organization on child-safety testing, usability testing with focus groups, and production validation across extensive device matrices
Partnered with educators and child development specialists on age-appropriate content delivery, learning milestone tracking, and educational effectiveness metrics

Technical Implementation

Integrated privacy-compliant analytics SDKs with COPPA-compliant tracking, audience segmentation without PII collection, and parental consent management workflows
Implemented sophisticated parental subscription management with In-App Purchase integration (iOS), Google Play Billing (Android), and subscription status synchronization across devices
Managed beta testing programs through TestFlight (iOS) and AppCenter (Android) with phased rollouts, crash-free release monitoring, and parent feedback collection
Optimized application performance for various tablet and phone screen sizes including responsive layouts, adaptive bitrates, and device-specific optimizations for educational content delivery

Kids Safety & Education

Ensured full COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) compliance with comprehensive data handling policies, parental consent flows, privacy-by-design architecture, and regular compliance audits
Implemented kid-safe UI/UX design with no external links, no third-party advertising, no in-app purchases without parental gates, and age-appropriate content presentation for preschoolers
Added comprehensive parental gates for subscription management, settings access, and account management with multi-step verification, PIN protection, and adult-oriented challenge questions
Created sophisticated age-appropriate content filtering system with educational milestone tracking, progress reporting for parents, and adaptive learning path recommendations based on child development stages

Engineering challenges

Complex problems we solved during development

COPPA Compliance

Challenge: Educational children's app required strict COPPA compliance with zero tolerance for privacy violations and data collection without verifiable parental consent
Solution: Implemented privacy-by-design architecture with data minimization, verifiable parental consent workflows, comprehensive audit logging, and regular third-party compliance audits
Result: 100% COPPA compliance with zero violations during production operation and successful FTC compliance reviews

Offline Content Management

Challenge: Managing downloaded educational content with licensing windows, storage constraints on family devices, and synchronization across multiple child profiles
Solution: Built content lifecycle management system with automatic expiration, intelligent storage optimization, download queuing, and background refresh for expired educational content
Result: Efficient storage utilization with 50% reduction in cache size through intelligent compression and 99.5% download success rate

Performance Optimization

Challenge: App needed to perform smoothly on older family devices while maintaining rich interactive educational experiences for young children
Solution: Implemented aggressive asset optimization, lazy loading, image caching, memory management with device-specific quality adjustments, and educational content pre-fetching
Result: 45% reduction in app size and 40% improvement in load times on older devices while maintaining educational content quality

Apple TV Integration

Challenge: Extending educational platform to Apple TV with remote control navigation, 10-foot UI design, and family viewing experience optimization
Solution: Built tvOS application with focus-based navigation, simplified UI for living room experience, Siri Remote integration, and Family Sharing support
Result: Seamless cross-platform experience with 4.3+ star rating on Apple TV App Store