In early 2018, I got a chance to work on an app meant for aviation unions—to streamline the internal workflow and communication system in the unions who work in aviation. It was a new domain for me and although the app did not talk about the aircraft technicalities, it was a good introduction to their internal communication models, the context, the content types, and the information needs and goals.
The app is 2Way and that experience is memorable for many other reasons too.
One, the client is in Iceland, a first for me in this country. We learn a lot about a country and their culture when we work with their technology leaders. For example there was no sense of urgency in their emails and for the follow up, the way they would write adjacent possibilities while planning a task, and the expectations in the deliverables.
It tells a lot about their lifestyle, and the social-cultural practices in their life outside technology also.
Two, the founder, Gudmundur St. Sigurdsson is such a nice person to know—so patient, very friendly, and an absolute joy to work with. I have worked with many founders and technology leaders in world, in the last fifteen years—Gudmundur is certainly among the top three with whom I loved it.
Three, working on a new domain and for someone in a new country builds a different kind of understanding of the world. Out of curiosity, I started following some events, sports festivals, and culture meets in Iceland. For example—The Mountain Bath and Retreat in Thjorsardalur Valley is set to open in June 2026, see this story by Frame Publishers.
Four, and most important, it gives me more chances to build more bridges to support others where I get a chance. For example a few months ago, I found the ACM Interaction Design and Children (IDC) Conference, for June 23-26, 2025 at Reykjavík University in Iceland.
Two weeks ago, one of my friends—Dobrian Debrov (see their LinkedIn) told me about the launch of their app for kids—Toddlr. I immediately told Dobrian about the upcoming IDC Conference in Iceland, and they were so happy to know about it. It is not only about gains, it is about the bridges—this was always the primary objective of technology.
For all the reasons and many more, working on 2Way was always a special experience for me. To use an app for aviation unions, for the people and staff who work in aircraft industry and their content lifecycle needs while at work—I loved it every day.
PS: If you know of anyone who might need to use such an app for staff and operations in aviation or for specific unions or communities working in aviations, I will be happy to do an introduction to Gudmundur. Let me know in that case.
