UmmaConnect

Inspiration

Having both just finished our first year of college, we learned the importance of having friends that share the same values and lifestyles as you. Living in an environment where drinking and partying are an intrinsic part of the college experience, surrounding yourself with a community of muslims can be imperative for spiritual well-being.

The app allows the user to create an UmmaConnect account in which the user will be asked to fill out a simple profile with information detailing several preferences. This includes the college they are attending, gender, a profile picture, and more.

We began with a single view app on Xcode. From there, we created three different View Controllers that segue from the Home Screen. On these pages, we developed signup and login user authentication with Firebase that allows users to create an account and saves the User ID as well as an encrypted passcode. Once an account is created, the user is lead to their profile page.

This was our first time creating an app. More specifically, it was also our first time using the Xcode interface and Swift language.
We had overestimated our ability to learn a new language and implement the features we wanted within the designated time frame.
Creating accounts was far more challenging and in depth than we had anticipated. In addition to Xcode/Swift, we also needed to learn how to navigate Firebase Authentication and Firebase Database.
While developing the app, we wanted the application to run on all iOS devices, including iPad and iPhone. Therefore, when creating the user interface, we needed to develop the proper constraints to accommodate the varying layouts.

This was our first time creating an app. More specifically, it was also our first time using the Xcode interface and Swift language.
Although this was a two-week project, we decided to link our app to Firebase (a google certified authentication service).

Continue developing the app so that once an account is created, a user is able to see other profiles and their information.
Produce a feed of people that they match with, sorted by compatibility.
Allow the user to chat with other people.
Expand it to have a list of local Muslim businesses, including halal restaurants in the area.
Allow the app to include not only students, but also Muslim professionals, which would allow for mentorship.
Become Apple certified developers and get clearance to include UmmaConnect in the Appstore. Contact Muslim student organizations to promote the app.