FindMySpot

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  FindMySpot

Inspiration

We were frustrated with finding the right place to go right now. Whether it’s finding a restaurant that isn’t packed, a quiet park, or a beach that’s not overcrowded, people make decisions based on activity, time, and crowd level. That gap inspired FindMySpot: a map built around real-world context, not just locations.

What it does

FindMySpot helps users discover nearby places by activity, such as restaurants, cafés, gas stations, beaches, hiking trails, parks, libraries, and study/work spots. It shows real-time, privacy-safe crowd levels using color-coded indicators, highlights places that are open now or open 24/7, and recommends the best nearby options based on location, time, and selected activity.

How we built it

We built a map-based web app with a clean, filterable UI and a backend that aggregates place data, hours, and anonymized crowd signals. We use the Google Gemini API for semantic search, smart ranking, activity tagging, and natural-language queries like “nearby beaches that aren’t crowded” or “restaurants open now.” Crowd levels are estimated using aggregated, non-identifying signals and historical patterns—never personal data.

Challenges we ran into

One of the biggest challenges was estimating crowd levels without invading user privacy while keeping the data accurate and useful. We also had to handle cold-start locations with little data, optimize recommendation quality across very different activities, and design an interface that stays simple despite supporting many place types.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Built a privacy-first, real-time crowd visualization system
  
• Designed an intuitive activity-based discovery experience
  
• Created clear, color-coded indicators that are easy to understand at a glance
  
• Integrated AI-powered recommendations that adapt to time, location, and intent
  

What we learned

We learned that users think in terms of activities, not categories or modes. We also gained experience designing scalable, ethical systems that combine AI, maps, and real-time signals while keeping UX clarity and performance top priorities.

What's next for FindMySpot

Next, we plan to expand activity types, add user-submitted insights, improve personalization, and introduce smarter crowd trend predictions—making FindMySpot the go-to app for finding the best place to go, right now.

Built With

• html/css
• javascript
• tailwind
• typescript