Work Apps Pricing About Contact

Case studyBooking marketplace · iOS, Android & web

booking beauty, minus the phone calls

CutQ is a booking marketplace for South Africa’s barbers, hair stylists, nail techs, braiders and spas. Customers find a business near them, see real prices and availability, and book in a few taps. We designed it, built it, launched it on both app stores, and run it.

Visit cutq.co.za App Store Google Play
What we did
Product design, mobile and web development, launch and ongoing support
Platforms
iOS, Android and web
Built with
Flutter, Supabase, Paystack, Firebase Cloud Messaging
Status
Live on the App Store and Google Play
CutQ home screen with search, categories and a nearby nail studio
A salon profile in CutQ with its address, service categories and priced services to book
A salon profile in CutQ in dark mode
platforms from one Flutter codebase
3
rating on the App Store
4.9
automated test files
69
screens checked on a real device before each release
44
01

the problem

Booking a haircut or a set of nails in South Africa still usually means a phone call, a WhatsApp back-and-forth or walking in and waiting your turn. Customers can’t see prices or open slots upfront.

On the other side of the counter, small businesses juggle bookings by hand between clients, lose time to no-shows and have no simple way to take payment in advance.

02

what we built

For customers

  • Find nearby barbers, salons, nail techs, braiders and spas by category and location
  • Real prices and availability before you book
  • Book and pay in the app, then reschedule or add it to your calendar
  • Push reminders so appointments aren’t forgotten

For businesses

  • A live calendar and dashboard for appointments
  • A public business profile with services, prices and reviews
  • QR posters and check-in, plus referral links
  • Paystack payments and subscription plans
CutQ search results with location and category filters above a list of nearby businesses
Search with location and category filters.
A salon profile in CutQ with priced services and Book buttons
Every business gets a profile with real prices.
A salon profile in CutQ in dark mode
Dark mode, held to the same contrast rules as light.
The CutQ home screen laid out for iPad in a multi-column grid
The same app adapts to tablets with a wider, multi-column layout.
03

how it’s built

  • One codebase, three platforms

    The iOS and Android apps share a single Flutter codebase, with a separate web companion for business profile pages and QR check-in.

  • Payments built for South Africa

    Customers pay through Paystack, with server-side payment verification before a booking is confirmed.

  • No invisible text, in light or dark

    An automated contrast checker holds every screen to WCAG AA (4.5:1) in both themes.

  • Released on real devices, not green ticks

    Passing tests isn’t enough to ship. Each release is exercised on a real device against the live backend, screen by screen, before it goes to the stores.

  • Flutter
  • Dart
  • Riverpod
  • Supabase
  • Postgres
  • Edge Functions
  • Paystack
  • Firebase Cloud Messaging
  • Netlify

Next case study

CutPDF

want something like this?

Tell us what you want to build. A few lines on WhatsApp or email is plenty to start.

Chat on WhatsApp Email us