diff --git a/assets/test_file.json b/assets/test_file.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfcb15c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/test_file.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"hello world"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/app.cpp b/src/app.cpp
index 2c7b1c0..cd12bb8 100644
--- a/src/app.cpp
+++ b/src/app.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include <imgui.h>
 #include <app.hpp>
+#include <djson/json.hpp>
+#include <log.hpp>
 
 namespace miracle {
 namespace {
@@ -8,7 +10,13 @@ constexpr auto context_ci = le::Context::CreateInfo{
 };
 } // namespace
 
-App::App() : m_context(context_ci) {}
+App::App() : m_context(context_ci), m_data_loader(le::FileDataLoader::upfind("assets")) {
+	bind_services();
+
+	// test code, remove later.
+	auto json = dj::Json{};
+	if (m_services.get<le::IDataLoader>().load_json(json, "test_file.json")) { log.info("loaded JSON: {}", json); }
+}
 
 void App::run() {
 	while (m_context.is_running()) {
@@ -19,4 +27,11 @@ void App::run() {
 		m_context.present();
 	}
 }
+
+void App::bind_services() {
+	m_services.bind(&m_context);
+	// m_data_loader is bound to both the interface and the concrete class for use through either type.
+	m_services.bind<le::IDataLoader>(&m_data_loader);
+	m_services.bind<le::FileDataLoader>(&m_data_loader);
+}
 } // namespace miracle
diff --git a/src/app.hpp b/src/app.hpp
index ca472af..de44f45 100644
--- a/src/app.hpp
+++ b/src/app.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 #include <le2d/context.hpp>
+#include <le2d/file_data_loader.hpp>
+#include <le2d/service_locator.hpp>
 
 namespace miracle {
 class App {
@@ -9,6 +11,11 @@ class App {
 	void run();
 
   private:
+	void bind_services();
+
 	le::Context m_context;
+	le::FileDataLoader m_data_loader{};
+
+	le::ServiceLocator m_services{};
 };
 } // namespace miracle