ITF Seafarers

Unified mobile apps empowering
transport workers worldwide

the idea

THE BRIEF

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is a democratic, affiliate-led federation recognised as a global leader in transport advocacy, dedicated to protecting and improving workers’ lives and futures. Previously, ITF developed several mobile applications that pulled content from their website for users to access on the go.

Looking ahead, ITF aimed to create multiple connected applications sharing the same backend, streamlining how content is created, managed, and updated across platforms.

what needed to be solved

THE PROBLEM

Over the years, ITF had commissioned several separate apps, each with its own backend and infrastructure. They wanted to consolidate into a single mobile application with one backend, while retaining the flexibility to white-label the product. This meant the app could be restyled to match each brand and have tailored functionality to meet specific needs.

To achieve this, ITF required a unified backend and content management system that allowed them to manage content centrally, yet customise what was available in each white-labeled app. They planned to pilot this approach with three distinct applications: Seafarers, Wellbeing, and a Union app.

the clever bit!

THE SOLUTION

The Distance collaborated closely with ITF to understand the diverse requirements of each application and the origins of their data. It was agreed that a single CMS would serve as the “source of truth,” consolidating data from various sources and enabling ITF to manage everything in one place. The CMS included configurable settings that filtered content and data, ensuring each app only accessed information relevant to its purpose. This context switching was vital to maintaining a streamlined, unified system.

The mobile applications were designed with a consistent, simple interface capable of handling dynamic content from the CMS. This approach made it easy to white-label the apps for future versions. Each app connected to the CMS via API, but only fetched data configured specifically for that application.

With each app serving a unique purpose, ensuring relevant data was delivered to the right place was essential for meeting ITF’s goals.

measuring success

THE RESULTS

During development, the focus shifted as priorities evolved. Although the Wellbeing app initially needed updates because the existing version wasn’t meeting its goals, urgent circumstances meant the Seafarers app became the top priority.

ITF fast-tracked the launch of the Seafarers app to provide vital support to users in need. Through the app, seafarers could contact ITF directly, with messages visible to ITF staff for timely response and assistance.

While ITF continued populating the CMS to support future app releases, progress on other applications was temporarily paused to concentrate resources on the Seafarers app and its users.

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