About the Client
Happiful is an award-winning print magazine in the UK, loved by over 140,000 subscribers. Each month, Happiful delivers 92 pages of uplifting, ad-free content promoting positive mental health and wellbeing. It’s often described as a “monthly hug” by its readers.
The Challenge
Happiful wanted to extend its reach by offering a seamless, mobile-first experience for its digital magazine readers—without compromising the visual quality or calming essence of its print version. They needed a clean, intuitive mobile app to mirror the elegance of their magazine while offering interactivity and ease of access on both iOS and Android platforms.
Our Solution
Codalent partnered with Happiful to build their official mobile app from the ground up using React Native, powered by Expo and EAS for smooth development and streamlined deployment.
We collaborated closely with the in-house design team at Happiful, who provided the magazine’s signature visuals and styling, while we translated that into a polished mobile experience.
Project Timeline
🔧 Week 1 – Base Setup
Codebase architecture and structure
Tokenising typography, color palettes, and integrating custom fonts
Setting up Expo EAS for real-time previews and production builds
🚀 Weeks 2–7 – Development Sprint
Splash Screen: Warm, welcoming introduction to the app
Home Screen: Carousel view showcasing current and past issues
Magazine Screen: Rich, structured layout for browsing articles by issue and category
Article Screen: Reader-focused view with clear typography, smooth scrolling, and related content
Settings: Manage notifications, support requests, and preferences
About + Legal: Clean pages for company info, privacy policy, and T&Cs
✅ Week 8 – Testing & Launch
Final QA and bug fixes
Production builds with EAS
Deployment to the App Store and Google Play
Post-Launch & Continuous Improvements
After the initial release, Codalent continues to work with Happiful in agile sprints to introduce new features and enhancements based on user feedback. A major addition was the “Find a Therapist” feature—bringing a key part of Happiful’s mission directly into users’ hands.
The new app release is AMAZING! I love the Find a therapist search, I didn’t think it would be that seamless an experience... so good!
Impact
A smooth, cross-platform experience for Happiful readers
100% alignment with Happiful’s visual identity and wellness-first tone
Intuitive reading and browsing UX built for mindfulness and discovery
Laid the groundwork for Happiful’s evolving digital presence
