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Case Study

Cloud Nine Play Cafe
Launching a Brand New Business

How we helped a brand-new business launch with confidence. We built everything they needed to hit the ground running: a memorable brand, a hand-coded website with an easy-to-use booking system, and a simple way for them to manage it all.

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Cloud Nine Play Cafe logo

Launching a Brand New Business with Complete Digital Presence

Cloud Nine Play Cafe is a brand new family-friendly play cafe launching in Guisborough, designed to provide a calm, cosy, and intimate alternative to large play centres. As a new business, they needed a solid digital foundation from day one. We worked with them on the whole journey, from creating a unique brand identity to building a custom Laravel website that handles bookings, payments, and content updates without any fuss.

The Challenge

Cloud Nine needed to establish itself as a distinct alternative to large play centres while building a complete digital solution that would support their business from day one.

  • Establish brand identity that reflects warmth, playfulness, and community values
  • Build anticipation during refurbishment phase with progress updates
  • Enable seamless online bookings with integrated payment processing
  • Support business operations with intuitive admin panel for non-technical users
  • Implement complex booking logic with age-based dynamic pricing and capacity management
  • Ensure robust security and GDPR compliance
  • Build scalable foundation for future features like party bookings and events
"We wanted to create something special for Guisborough families - a calm, cosy alternative where both children and adults feel comfortable."

How We Solved It

We provided everything they needed, covering brand identity, web design, and the technical build from start to finish.

Phase 1: Brand Identity & Strategy

We created a comprehensive Brand Book (Version 4.1) establishing Cloud Nine's unique visual and editorial identity:

  • Visual Identity: Pastel Blue (#AEC6CF), Soft Peach (#FFDAB9), Warm Grey, Cloud White - creating warmth and playfulness
  • Typography: Quicksand for headings (friendly, rounded), Poppins for body text (clean, legible)
  • Editorial Voice: Quirky, funny, happy, friendly, and honest - conversational UK English without corporate jargon
  • Brand Positioning: The only play cafe in Guisborough offering a calm, cosy, and intimate alternative to large play centres

Phase 2: Web Design & UX

The website design embodied a "cozy, artisanal workshop" aesthetic:

  • Design Philosophy: Warmth & authenticity with organic, asymmetrical layouts
  • Mobile-First: Responsive design working seamlessly on all devices
  • User Experience: Intuitive booking flow with clear pricing breakdown and secure payment process
  • Accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA compliant with semantic HTML and keyboard navigation

Phase 3: Technical Architecture

We built a robust full-stack Laravel application:

  • Backend: Laravel 11 (PHP 8.2+), MySQL 8.0+, Stripe PHP SDK, PHPMailer
  • Frontend: Blade Templates, Tailwind CSS v3, Alpine.js, Vite
  • Booking System: Complex logic with age-based dynamic pricing, capacity management, and real-time availability checking
  • Payment Integration: Secure Stripe integration with webhook verification
  • Admin Panel: Intuitive CMS for managing sessions, bookings, events, and content

The Solution

As a brand new business launching in Guisborough, Cloud Nine needed a solid digital foundation from day one. We built a complete package that not only established their brand but also gave them all the tools they needed to open their doors and run the business smoothly.

Cloud Nine Play Cafe homepage with warm, cosy design and booking system
Full-Stack Laravel Application Age-Based Dynamic Pricing Stripe Payment Integration Intuitive Admin Panel GDPR Compliant Mobile-First Design

Key Features

Customer-Facing Features

  • Interactive booking calendar with real-time availability
  • Dynamic pricing calculation based on child ages
  • Secure Stripe Checkout integration for deposits
  • User registration with email verification
  • Child profile management
  • Booking confirmation emails
  • Booking management with cancellation support

Admin Panel Features

  • Dashboard with statistics and quick actions
  • Comprehensive booking management system
  • Session management with blocked dates support
  • Event management with featured events
  • Party booking management
  • Flexible CMS for all static pages
  • Pricing rule configuration
  • User management system

Technical Implementation

Complex Booking Logic

  • Real-time availability checking via AJAX API endpoints
  • Capacity validation preventing overbooking
  • Sophisticated blocked dates system (single sessions or full days)
  • Age-based dynamic pricing with month-based age calculation
  • Database-driven pricing (no hardcoded values)
  • Support for multiple session types (standard, baby_social, childminder, sen, exclusive)

Security & Compliance

  • SQL injection prevention via Eloquent ORM with prepared statements
  • XSS prevention with proper content escaping
  • CSRF protection on all state-changing forms
  • Secure authentication with bcrypt password hashing
  • Stripe webhook signature verification
  • Role-based access control for admin panel
  • GDPR-compliant cookie consent and data handling

Database Architecture

Comprehensive schema supporting all application features:

  • Users, bookings, play_sessions, children, pricing_rules
  • Events, party_bookings, pages (CMS content)
  • Proper foreign key constraints with cascade deletes
  • 31 database migrations for comprehensive schema evolution
Cloud Nine Play Cafe booking system interface showing calendar, session selection, and pricing breakdown

Results

  • Complete Brand Identity: A brand book that captures their unique personality and gives them clear guidelines for everything from colours to tone of voice
  • Hand-Coded Website: A custom Laravel website with a booking system that works, secure payment processing, and an easy way to manage content
  • Secure Payments: Stripe integration that handles payments safely and automatically
  • Simple Admin Panel: A straightforward system for managing bookings and content - no technical knowledge needed
  • Works Everywhere: Mobile-first design that looks great and works perfectly on phones, tablets, and desktops
  • Found Online: Proper SEO setup so people can actually find them when they search
  • GDPR Compliant: Cookie consent, privacy policy, and secure data handling - all the legal stuff sorted
  • Professional Emails: Branded emails that go out automatically for bookings and confirmations

Code Quality Metrics

  • 31 Database Migrations
  • 27 Controllers
  • 9 Models
  • 85+ Blade Views
  • 10+ Security Implementations
  • 57+ Change Log Entries

Business Impact

  • Automated booking system reduces manual administration
  • Real-time availability checking prevents overbooking
  • Integrated payment processing streamlines revenue collection
  • 24/7 online booking availability
  • Foundation for future features and expansion

Challenges & Solutions

Complex Booking Logic

Implementing age-based dynamic pricing, capacity management, and real-time availability checking required sophisticated business logic.

Solution: Developed flexible pricing rules system with age-based configuration, real-time availability API with capacity validation, and comprehensive admin tools.

Payment Security

Ensuring secure payment processing while maintaining a smooth user experience.

Solution: Implemented Stripe Payment Intents API with webhook verification for server-side payment confirmation and refund management system.

Content Management

Enabling business owners to update content without technical knowledge.

Solution: Built intuitive admin panel with user-friendly forms, flexible CMS with rich text editing, and comprehensive documentation.

Age-Based Pricing

Implementing accurate age-based pricing with precise age calculations, especially for children under 6 months.

Solution: Developed sophisticated PricingRule model with month-based age calculation, database-driven pricing system, and comprehensive logging.

Technology Stack

Backend

  • PHP 8.2+
  • Laravel 11
  • MySQL 8.0+
  • Stripe PHP SDK
  • PHPMailer

Frontend

  • Blade Templates
  • Tailwind CSS v3
  • Vanilla JavaScript
  • Alpine.js
  • Vite

Services

  • Stripe (Payments)
  • Google Maps (Location)
  • Google Analytics 4 (Analytics)
  • Font Awesome (Icons)

Project Success

"Working with Blue Penguin Digital made everything so easy. They took our vision and turned it into a beautiful, professional brand and a website that just works. The booking system has saved us so much time, and our customers love how simple it is to use." Cloud Nine Play Cafe

What You Can Expect

  • A complete package from brand identity to a website that works
  • A booking system that handles age-based pricing automatically
  • Secure payment processing that just works - no fuss
  • An admin panel you can actually use without needing a computer science degree
  • Proper security and GDPR compliance - all the important stuff covered
  • A solid foundation that can grow with your business
  • Clear documentation and support when you need it
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