Inspiration
The idea for NextUp was inspired by the concept of a bucket list, all those things we dream of doing before we die. We often hear great recommendations from friends or discover new places we’d like to visit, but we forget about them later or don’t know who to do them with.
We also noticed that sometimes people want to try something new but don’t know where to start, who to invite, or how to keep track of their ideas. NextUp was born to solve that: a simple way to organize, share, and live meaningful experiences with the people you care about.
What It Does
NextUp is a web and mobile app that helps users discover, plan, and share experiences. Users can: Create and manage experiences they want to try (like foods, movies, places, or books). Filter and track experiences by category or completion status. Add friends, share recommendations, and plan adventures together. Create group events called Adventures where friends can accept or decline invitations. NextUp makes it easy to turn ideas into memories, all in one place.
How We Built It
We built NextUp as a full-stack web app using: Vite (React) for a fast, dynamic, and responsive front end. PostgreSQL for data storage and management. Node.js API routes for secure back-end communication. Tailwind CSS for a clean and mobile-optimized user interface. AWS S3Bucket for file storage. React native for mobile rendering. We also used GitHub for collaboration and version control to keep our workflow smooth as a team.
Challenges We Ran Into
Some of the main challenges included: Synchronizing data between the Experiences, Friends, and Adventures systems. Designing a layout that works seamlessly on both desktop and mobile. Merging code efficiently while working in parallel across multiple components. Each obstacle helped us strengthen our problem-solving and teamwork skills.
Accomplishments That We're Proud Of
We’re proud of creating a fully functional full-stack app in a short amount of time and seeing how our idea came to life. Some highlights include: Building a responsive and user-friendly design that feels intuitive. Successfully integrating friend recommendations and map-based experiences. Overcoming technical challenges through teamwork and creativity. Most importantly, we’re proud that NextUp truly aligns with the Quality of Life category by helping people live more fulfilling and connected lives.
What We Learned
Through this project, we learned how to: Manage complex state and user interactions. Apply clean UI/UX principles to enhance accessibility and simplicity. Communicate and collaborate effectively under time pressure. We also learned that technology can make life better, not just by making things easier, but by bringing people closer together.
What's Next for NextUp
In the future, we plan to expand NextUp by: Adding AI-powered recommendations based on user preferences and location. Enabling social media sharing for completed experiences. Building a mobile-native app version for Android and iOS. Implementing gamification features (badges, streaks, achievements) to motivate users to keep exploring new experiences. Our mission is to keep improving NextUp to help people live intentionally, connect meaningfully, and make every day an adventure.
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