Improving Chat Performance and Creating a Custom UI Library

With a major cricket tournament approaching, Dream11 needed to ensure a smooth user experience under high traffic conditions. The priority was to optimize performance quickly, especially within the in-app chat feature, to reduce the risk of user churn and protect brand reputation. At the same time, they wanted to future-proof development by introducing a scalable design system that their internal team could maintain and extend with minimal effort.

Our collaboration focused on two core objectives: improving chat performance under load, and creating a flexible design system based on React Native Paper to accelerate future development.

Our engagement focused on two parallel tracks: optimizing chat performance ahead of peak user traffic, and building a custom UI component library to support long-term scalability.

Chat Optimization Workflow

We began by cleaning up the chat codebase, removing React Native anti-patterns, misused libraries, and incorrect component usage. To guide the optimization process, we applied the DMAIC cycle, starting with issue identification and measurement, followed by targeted code improvements and validation using internal performance tooling.

Throughout the process, we worked closely with Dream11 to prioritize changes that would deliver the highest impact under expected user load conditions.

UI Component Library Setup

To support long-term maintainability, we built a custom UI component library based on a fork of React Native Paper. The process included:

• Reviewing Figma mockups and acceptance criteria with Dream11
• Setting up the design system foundation: colors, typography, and layout
• Establishing CI workflows for automated updates
• Integrating Storybook for component testing

We then implemented a full set of reusable components, ensuring alignment with both design specs and technical standards.

Dream11 now operates with a more stable and performant app, especially in high-traffic scenarios. The chat feature delivers a smoother experience for users on low-end Android devices, addressing a key area of user friction and directly supporting business goals like reducing churn and improving user retention.

In parallel, the new UI component library enables Dream11’s in-house team to ship new features more efficiently. By standardizing design elements and behavior across the app, the solution reduces development time and ensures a more consistent user experience, all while lowering the long-term cost of maintenance and iteration.