Butter

Inspiration

In a post-pandemic world, many students and young adults struggle to reconnect with others in meaningful ways. While social media platforms provide online connections, meeting new people in real life can feel daunting, especially for those with social anxiety or limited confidence in face-to-face interactions. Inspired by the metaphor of a "social butterfly" and the concept of making social interactions as smooth as butter, we created Butter: a gamified platform to help users engage in real-life activities, earn rewards, and foster genuine connections.

We wanted to empower people to step out of their comfort zones and engage in community-driven events, whether it's attending a game night, joining a workout session, or meeting up for a hobby they love.

What it does

Butter is a mobile web app that simplifies socializing and encourages real-life connections through:

Personalized Recommendations: A user questionnaire helps create tailored activity suggestions based on interests, preferred group sizes, and commute preferences.
Gamification: Users earn points (XP) for attending events and scanning QR codes of other users who attend, making socializing rewarding and fun.
Event Matching: The app connects users with activities and groups aligned with their preferences, reducing the pressure of initiating interactions.
Rewards System: Accumulated points can be redeemed for local rewards, like discounts at cafes or event tickets.

How we built it

We started with a rough brainstorm on paper, sketching ideas and defining core features. Then, we transitioned to Figma to create detailed wireframes and prototypes, solidifying the app’s design and user flow. For development, we used TypeScript with Next.js to build the frontend, working through the user flow incrementally. On the backend, we used Firebase for real-time database management and OAuth for user authentication.