Inspiration
Despite the rapid growth of STEM occupations, women make up only 28% of the workforce [source] and men vastly outnumber women in STEM majors in college [source].
How might we empower women and encourage them to pursue STEM?
One reason for the gender gap is the lack of role models [source]. With so few women going into STEM fields (and even fewer getting the recognition they deserve), it’s important for kids of any gender to learn about the impact of women scientists throughout history. Through the app, we hope to bring more exposure to women in STEM to more people.
What is Hello Universe?
Hello Universe is a mobile learning app that encourages young children (ages 6+) to think about STEM early on by teaching them the basics and helping them explore the many legacies of women in the field.
Each Milestone contains 3 multiple-choice lessons and increases in difficulty. Upon each Milestone completion, the user discovers and learns about a new “Friend” - an influential woman in STEM.
Encouraging them along the way is Codey, our app’s cat mascot. Equipped with a space helmet, Codey guides the user on their journey of exploring the STEM universe!
How we built it
First, we brainstormed what content and features to include in our app. Then, our designer created a low-fidelity wireframe in Figma to get a sense of how the interface will look like. We wanted to make the app simple, friendly, and cute! After some visual consideration, our designer built a high-fidelity mockup for the developers to follow.
To create the general frame of the application, we used the stack navigation system provided by React Native. Using the stack navigation system, we created a home menu that allowed us to reach different pages of the application. Each of the buttons had another “stack” linked to it, allowing for us to move in between different functions.
Finally, we used React Native to program the app on both android and iOS platforms to make it more accessible.
Challenges we ran into
- Learning a new language for the first time. For some members, it was their first time working with Javascript in React Native, so we spent a lot of time learning the language and API.
- There were many problems with uploading the code to Github because sometimes the code would have problems merging.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- Completing a generally functional prototype of the app on both android and iOS despite all members being new to React Native.
- Creating a fun, interactive mockup using Figma flows and overlays under a time constraint and successfully building design specs (UI, buttons, etc.) in JavaScript.
- Challenging ourselves with an ambitious idea considering our technical skills and pushing through it, and by doing so creating a space for women in STEM recognition.
- Staying up for 2 nights 😍
What we learned
Planning, designing, and building a mobile app takes a very long and thorough process that is prone to change overtime. We learned that a project progresses smoothly when we manage our time and resources well. Above all, being able to help each other out when one of us was stuck made a huge difference in getting things done and built team spirit!
What's next for Hello Universe
- Adding an audio player and other accessibility options to make our app more inclusive and user-friendly
- Better animations for app interface
- Expansion of Milestones and Library of Friends
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