CommonGround

Webapp Proof Of Concept - Using Figma

Inspiration

CommonGround was born out of a shared challenge among our team members—feeling hesitant to attend campus events because we didn’t know anyone in the hosting organizations. We wanted to bridge this gap by creating an app that helps students connect others within the same major or that have similar interests who are attending events across different organizations. Our goal was to foster a stronger sense of community at Penn State.

What it does

CommonGround allows students to connect with others attending campus events, even if they are from different organizations. The app displays attendees based on shared majors and interests, making it easier for users to find familiar faces and make meaningful connections before and during events.

How we built it

Events tracking page: Uses a Google Maps API to create a map of University Park with markers at each event location
RSVP & Chat Function: Allows users to RSVP to events, adding them into a group chat with all other attendees
Event Details include: A about/description section, Data and Time, and Location
Follow Organizer: Users will also be able to follow organizers and get alert about their upcoming events and group activities
Student Matching Screen: When students have matched interests and/or major they will show up as a “match” on each others screen where they can then message one another

Challenges we ran into

Frontend-Backend Integration: Connecting our Next.js frontend with the Python backend and JSON files was more complex than expected.
Navigation Issues: We struggled with linking different pages properly to the homepage.
Generative AI Limitations: While AI tools helped, they weren’t always able to generate exactly what we needed, requiring manual adjustments.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Successfully creating a detailed proof of concept in Figma with multiple pages, tabs, and working buttons.
Overcoming technical hurdles and gaining a deeper understanding of full-stack development.
Exploring AI-assisted development and incorporating generative AI into our workflow.

What we learned

How to connect a Next.js frontend with a Python backend.

The importance of clear documentation and debugging in web development.

The lifecycle of app development—from ideation to prototyping and implementation.

What's next for CommonGround

Refining the full-stack implementation to make the app fully functional.
Enhancing the UI/UX to create a seamless user experience.
Expanding AI-driven features to personalize event recommendations.
Potentially launching a beta version for Penn State students to test and provide feedback.