Expresso

Expresso landing page

Inspiration

We wanted to figure out a way to connect people from different backgrounds, and we wanted to make sure there was still some common bridge between them. The idea for Expresso came when we were thinking about ways that we could improve the isolation that we see on Carnegie Mellon's campus. We wanted to help people connect.

What it does

It surveys you for your demographic information, and puts you in a queue. Once there are two other people in this queue that have different demographic backgrounds than you (but the same taste in coffee as you!), you will be told their names, and the coffee shop near you that you can meet up at!

How we built it

We built the backend using Django, and a whole lot of Python. It's essentially a web application, and we connect the backend to an HTML/CSS front end. We're hosting it on our computers, and using a computer as a server to collect information from participants from different computers.

Challenges we ran into

None of us knew how to use Django, none of us have ever built a web application, and none of us have ever made anything that has gone into production of any kind with Javascript, HTML, or CSS. We learned a lot about the process of creating a web app, and we learned EVERYTHING about Javascript and Django in the 24 hours that we were working (I say 24 hours, but we spent 9 hours sleeping, and started 2 hours late, so really it was a 13 hour project!).

Accomplishments that we're proud of

That we have something that works! Figuring out how to get it all together was HUGE. Also, coming up with an idea was HUGE! We spent at least 2 hours plus thinking of what we could do. We worked together as a team, and it went well. Kai doesn't like Git very much, but hey, we all have our flaws ;)

What we learned

Everything about Django and Javascript, how to host and build a web application, how to code with a fever, how to code when the bagels come 2 hours late, and how love Rashid Auditorium. But actually, this was the most challenging coding project any of us have ever done. Definitely a first-time hackathon where we learned what a hackathon actually is.

What's next for Expresso

Expand the location! We need to work on handling race conditions, and work on expanding beyond Pittsburgh. We kept our locations to around Pittsburgh for convenience sake, and we also need to make our categories more comprehensive.