Inspiration
The inspiration for Icepick was simply the idea of helping people connect with one another. We meet new people every day, especially in a college environment, and it can be hard to approach people and develop meaningful relationships. We wanted to create an app that would make it easier for people to connect with each other and give them something interesting to talk about.
What it does
Icepick is an app that, like it's namesake, is designed to 'break the ice.' The app generates interesting prompts and questions that can be used to initiate conversations and help relieve some of the stress of meeting new people. It has multiple categories, from simple get to know you questions, to cheesy pickup lines, to interesting questions to make people really think.
How we built it
Icepick was built using a combination of react-native and expo, with just a hint of javascript for flavor.
Challenges we ran into
We ran into many challenges while developing this app. Our initial plan was to create an app that features Bluetooth connectivity between phones, but we soon discovered that we couldn't rely on the api we had found. After we adjusted our plans, we still had to learn react-native, a brand new programming language for us, and learn how to use it's partner program Expo to view and style our app.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are very proud of the app that we've created. We went through many different ideas, encountered multiple roadblocks, and had many happy moments where something finally started working. We had to change our original plan partway through the hackathon, but we were still able to create a great program that still focused on the original purpose of the app; helping people connect with one another.
What we learned
We learned a lot about the development process of an app and how to work with other people to create something functional. We learned how to use react-native, expo, and javascript, as well as how to use programs like git to help collaborate through the internet. Probably most importantly, we learned about how to navigate unexpected problems and still create a viable product when we have a project deadline to think about.
What's next for Icepick
In the future, we'd like to upgrade the Icepick library and add more prompts and questions. We plan to add event categories, so people can access prompts that work best for their current environment, whether it be a crowded party or a professional meeting. We also plan to continue working towards including Bluetooth features in our app so users can have the opportunity to connect with other users in the same area.
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