HoosExchange

CVille's environmentally-friendly one-stop thrift-shop!

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Inspiration

HoosExchange came about because we wanted an easy way to buy and cell clothes locally, while also reminding thrifters about the amazing environmental impact they have when they choose to shop used.

What it does

HoosExchange is an online thriftshop for CVille locals and UVA students. HoosExchange offers a way for students and CVille locals to easily buy and sell used clothes, shoes, and accessories - all while making a positive environmental impact.

Major features of HoosExchange include:

  • Homepage with user-friendly about section
  • 'Make a post' page that allows any user to post a new used-item to be listed on the site.
  • 'View Items' page that displays all listings of items
  • Individual item page that displays detailed about info about a listed used item, including price, description, and contact information for the seller.
  • Additionally, when you view a specific item, you can see what environmental impact you are having by choosing to buy used.

How we built it

We used Python + Django web framework to build the major site components, and formatted the site with CSS styling and Bootstrap 5 formatting. Additionally, we deployed our site on Heroku.

Challenges we ran into

Throughout the process, our team encountered multiple bugs ranging from getting the site up and running, to properly formatting the site. One of the major roadblocks was properly storing image data in the PostgresSQL database. We fixed this by heavily researching solutions, eventually figuring out how to use the Pillow Django add-on. Finally, we struggled with deploying on Heroku, but managed to troubleshoot, debug, and work out how Heroku works and how we can use it effectively.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Our team is very proud about our user-friendly and functional website, as we paid extra attention to make sure the site has consistent formatting and design. Additionally, we are proud we were able to successfully upload images to the PostgresSQL database and display them cleanly.

What we learned

  • How to work with Heroku to deploy our Django site
  • How to work with Images in PostgresSQL
  • Learned how to properly format the site with Bootstrap 5 and CSS styling
  • How to properly handle version control and work with a team on GitHub
  • Improved debugging stills and how we approach issues with our code

What's next for HoosExchange

  • We would like to add Google OAuth integration, as well as the ability for users to purchase items directly from HoosExchange
  • Add feature for users to delete listing
  • Add way for users to find local thrift shops around them
  • Add anonymous integrated chat feature so buyers and sellers can communicate
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