CommunityConnect

• 

  Landing Page with Login/sign-up

• 

  Extra fields required for signing up

• 

  Main browsing page with all the services offered by local businesses/freelancers as well as posts about local announcements

• 

  second example of browsing page with an idea of what different posts might be about/look like

• 

  Creating a post

• 

  Creating a service to offer

• 

  Profile page

Inspiration

CommunityConnect's inspiration comes from one of our member's experiences as he recalls how he missed a LANY concert (because he didn't know) and how "convenient" it would be to know what events were happening around him.

What it does

CommunityConnect is a streamlined online platform that empowers individuals to explore businesses and spotlight local events in their communities. To do so, CommunityConnect features a diverse browsing page where you're shown extensive results of public posts and services being offered around your community and city. On the other side, CommunityConnect also allows freelancers and businesses to showcase jaw-dropping deals and exclusive services. Consequently, CommunityConnect strengthens communities and builds relationships across groups within your community.

How we built it

We built the project using React for our front, Express and Node for our backend, and MongoDB Atlas as our database.

Challenges we ran into

During the hackathon, we faced various challenges that tested our problem-solving skills. Integrating Auth0 presented compatibility issues that required extensive debugging. Time management proved difficult due to tight deadlines and ambitious project scope. Miscommunication regarding design specifications arose, requiring increased collaboration and communication. We were stuck on completing features for our app that we'd never implemented or had any experience with initially. Despite these challenges, we overcame most of them through determination and teamwork, meanwhile learning valuable lessons along the way.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of the amount of front-end and back-end code we were able to write within only 2 days. On the first day, we completed almost all of the front end, including the main components and styling. We completed most of the main back-end features, including Auth0, API endpoints, and the Node.js server on the second day. The dedication of our three-man-team was evident as we overcame multiple challenges and supported each other throughout the way.

What we learned

In terms of technology, we began developing the web application by implementing Auth0 for authorization and authentication. This proved to be a valuable experience as we learned powerful strategies for managing access to resources. We also recognized the importance of early design planning for a web application. As we progressed with the better design, we noticed that development became significantly easier. Moreover, If design changes are made, it is crucial for the entire team to be informed in order to maintain a smooth development process without interruptions.

What's next for CommunityConnect

Community Connect is a powerful & scalable idea. As it grows to potentially serve thousands of geographically different neighborhoods, it becomes even more important to enhance its functionality and scalability

Firstly, we plan on facilitating connectivity within the community by providing more powerful machine learning search features and filter functionality (location, skills, etc.) Additionally, we can help streamline the process and avoid conflicts in availability by providing scheduling and messaging systems. Finally, as the business grows, it wouldn't hurt to have payment integration in the application.

Built With

• express.js
• mongodb
• node.js
• react
• support-local-businesses
• tailwind