Inspiration
A recurring problem in student accommodation is the dependence on a limited number of laundry services by a significantly larger student population. This is expensive for each student and sees a lot of waste of both resources and time. As a team that consisted entirely of students living in halls, this is an issue we were forced to deal with repeatedly. This led us to create Launder; an app that pairs users with similar laundry preferences during their time of need, with an aim to alleviate such problems by sharing it amongst fellow students. We believe that this will cut costs for students, lead to more efficient washes, and less total occupancy of the machines; students will have more time to do things they actually enjoy! This will also have positive social and environmental impacts in limiting the amount of wastewater produced and create a stronger student community.
TL/DR: expensive laundry costs for incomplete loads; potential in sharing amongst students.
Function
The purpose of Launder is to reduce inefficiencies in the daily student life. This will be achieved by pairing users with similar laundry preferences together so that they can share loads and reduce costs. This will also allow water to be conserved, and reduce the time that the machines are occupied; creating a better laundry experience. A further effect that we are optimistic for is the creation of a tighter student community; something we believe to be essential for a healthy student lifestyle.
TL/DR- pairs students with similar preferences to share loads, saving water, money and time.
How was it implemented?
A native iOS app was created using Swift to implement a friendly user interface. The iOS app was preferred to a web app as it is easier to use and would be easy to pair with a communication system that allows students to be better connected. The backend directory uses Flask API to receive URL requests from the frontend and match those to functions. This then returns appropriate responses, allowing suitable matches.
There were several factors that we had to match people with. As the app is still in developmental stages, we used the basic preferences of colour of laundry, preferred time for washing, size of load, and gender. This is something that we wish to improve on; more preferences would mean better matches amongst users.
TL/DR- uses Swift and Flask API as frontend and backend respectively to pair people with similar preferences.
Challenges we faced
This project was particularly challenging for us because it was the first time we are tackling app development. During the planning phase, we initially struggled to formalize an idea that we felt was both useful and relatable to us as students.
There was also a steep learning curve involved in differentiating the front end and back end operations. We were not used to splitting up development into separate tasks which made it challenging for us to segment the project and to reconcile them towards the end. We also had to research on tools that we have never been exposed to before, and a lack of prior planning caused us to attempt to utilize unsuitable APIs like Django, leading to inefficient time usage. It was also extremely challenging for us to understand and implement the backend APIs we were using, which created issues in identification of errors and debugging.
There was also a stark difference in the level of coding ability with the team. This led to an uneven distribution of work, and put a lot of pressure on the more experienced coders to produce results in many aspects of the project with minimal assistance.
IC Hack was the first hackathon that a majority of us are attending, and this unfamiliarity caused a lot of inefficiency in how we approached the task. Being the first collaboration-intensive programming project we are undertaking, there were plenty of communication issues within the team, and some of us found it hard to specify what we required out of other team members.
Accomplishments we’re proud of
We were able to effectively establish a working connection and communication between the mobile app and our server after much trial and error, as this aspect was quintessential to the success of our project. Reconciling front end and back end operations was extremely challenging for us, and we are proud of the fact that we could figure it out purely through self-research, and more importantly, through our collaboration and great persistence.
We are also proud of the fact that we created a product that addresses an issue that is greatly relatable to us. Not only does it provide convenience and financial benefits to students, it is also an environmentally conscious and responsible service that reduces water and energy wastage. We are confident that our application is one will actually create a positive impact to our community and the environment.
What we learned
We obtained a comprehensive understanding of frontend and backend programming, along with basic user interface design. This was a highly useful insight into app development, as we encountered new tools such as Flask, Django, and frontend networking. In addition to this, we learnt the importance of team collaboration in completing a task with a harsh deadline; we were able to see an improvement in our communication techniques and the designation of tasks to suitable members. We also learned the effectiveness of meme culture in the student environment.
What’s next
At the current stage, Launder is restricted to a basic user interface that has limited preference options. However, we believe it has huge potential in the student laundry market, especially when paired with widely used platforms such as Circuit Laundry, which provides realtime laundry updates. Coupled with our idea for Launder, this function would be a highly effective way to optimise student laundry times, and cater for a wide market. We are also interested in creating a synonymous Android app to allow all students to pair equally. This investment in time would also inevitably lead to a more user friendly and aesthetic design for Launder; something which would appeal to a young market. We will certainly connect to a valid communication system that allows matched users to interact quickly and effectively, possibly using an app such as WhatsApp. Another idea we are interested in is integrating third party payment API for easier monetary control between users. We would also like to link Launder by location; allowing students that are willing to commute short distances have the option; e.g. between Southside and Beit halls.
We believe that Launder is an app with huge potential for expansion, and we are excited to see its progress and the positive impact we hope it brings.
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