When user experience is everything
When Eplehuset set out to renew their ElevMac solution in 2025, the choice naturally fell on Increo. Not only because Increo had built the original version back in 2009, and the partnership and trust remained deeply embedded in the relationship, but because Increo understood what this solution is truly about: a frictionless user experience.
From pilot project to modern platform
Eplehuset is Norway's largest Apple Premium Reseller. They are a wholly-owned Norwegian company—founded in 2000—with 24 stores across the country and operations in both the corporate and education markets.
ElevMac is one of the company's key initiatives and is currently provided to county municipalities such as Rogaland, Akershus, Buskerud, Østfold, Troms, and Finnmark. The solution enables high school students to purchase a Mac at a subsidized price through their county municipality. The project plays an important role in society, but also involves technical and security requirements that demand precision.
When Eplehuset switched its main platform to Shopify, ElevMac had to be separated into its own solution. The need was for a bespoke portal capable of handling authentication, payment, and county municipal integrations without compromising the user experience.
“Given the requirements we have for ElevMac, building it as a standard online store wasn't an option. It’s a customized customer experience, and that made Increo a safe choice.”
– Magnus Buseth, CTO, Eplehuset
The Design Boost
Eplehuset had recently launched a new visual identity and wanted ElevMac to carry that expression forward. From there, Increo was tasked with taking it a step further and developing a new customer experience built on the same principles as Eplehuset’s main website.
- The same visual style, components, and typography as the main website
- Redesign of the entire purchasing journey
- Focus on universal design and simple guidance for both students and parents
The work on the user journey, or customer experience, was particularly important. ElevMac is not a solution intended to sell Apple products per se; it is a solution intended to make it easy to buy. That requires a slightly different approach.
“We feel that we are quite good at customer experience and user journeys, so it was fascinating to see how Increo managed to take our sketches and make them so much better.”
– Magnus Buseth, CTO, Eplehuset
The technology behind the simplicity
Great digital solutions should always be simple for the user, but making a portal like this work with systems from Eplehuset, county municipalities, and various third parties requires a deep understanding of technology.
Under the hood lies an interplay between authentication, validation against county municipalities, and automated order processing. Everything is built with an architecture that combines performance, security, and flexibility.
Technical architecture:
- Frontend: React / Next.js
- CMS: Umbraco (headless)
- Payment provider: Adyen
- Integrations with SAP and approval portal
A partnership built on shared values
The history between Eplehuset and Increo dates all the way back to 2006, when Increo took Eplehuset online for the first time. We were rewarded for this work at Gulltaggen in 2007.
Since then, both Eplehuset and Increo have grown, but without losing the essence of their business: both companies work to make cutting-edge technology and great user experiences accessible to everyone.
Eplehuset eventually disappeared from Increo's client list as their needs changed, but they say they have been following along from the sidelines.
“I feel like Increo has been on a similar journey to Eplehuset. Both have grown, become larger and more professional, but kept their values and concept. That is probably why we work so well together now.”
– Magnus Buseth, CTO, Eplehuset
For Increo, it was extra fun to have them back in the house. Working with companies that truly want to achieve something, and that understand the value of customer experience and innovation, is the dream scenario.
“It’s always nice when old clients return, but we felt it was extra special with Eplehuset. It reminds us why we do what we do: create digital experiences that last, and that mean something to people.”
– Morten Wikstrøm, CEO, Increo
The result
A frictionless experience - on time and on budget. ElevMac is a portal primarily used around the start of the school year, and increased sales volume is not a critical success factor for this project. Since Eplehuset wins these contracts through tenders from individual county municipalities, the focus was on user experience and delivering on time and within budget.
- A robust and scalable portal that handles thousands of students every year
- A modern design in line with the Eplehuset and Apple brand identity
- A project delivered on time, on budget, and with high quality
- A solution that simplifies everyday life for students, parents, and county municipalities alike
“For this project, the success factor was delivering on time and on budget, and it has worked out very well.
We have had good communication, minimal friction, and a seamless process.”
– Magnus Buseth, CTO, Eplehuset
The old solution was shut down on September 30, 2025, and the new portal went live as early as September 21.
