One Step

Making the world more sustainable, one action at a time.

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Inspiration

The Monday after this hackathon had kicked off, I attended a climate rally at Ames City Hall. Among other youth, we rallied to show support of a net zero carbon goal for the climate action plan that was going to be discussed that evening. In the midst of the speeches and chant, what was stuck with me, was how important individuals are and how powerful we can be when we dedicate ourselves to consistent changes. So I was inspired to create One Step, the app that empowers and encourages users to make sustainable lifestyle decisions.

What it does

One Step is an app that gamifies sustainable living. It sets a point goal that users achieve by completing activities that reduce their carbon footprint, such as walking instead of driving, showering shorter, or lowering the heat. Through these activities, users gain points and get verbal encouragement from the app.

How we built it

One Step was built in Java on Android Studio. I used many classes and methods that were already present in the Android Studio API to make it functional.

Challenges we ran into

I struggled the most with using a recyclerview for this app. This was my first time developing an app and using Android Studio, so I was constantly in a troubleshooting process. I often found myself searching up errors and tutorials, but I struggled the most with the recycler view for the scrolling point system. Largely because it was unknown to me. However, relying on my knowledge of array lists and various trials and errors, I finally was able to create the points page which responds when clicked and refers users to a page that is reused only to be updated by a new point value and action name.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Although I struggled with the recyclerview, it is also one of the accomplishments I'm proud of. Although it isn't particularly pretty or advanced, I am proud that I was able to create it and was able to identify an issue and find a solution to it.

What we learned

I've learned a tremendous amount through this experience. I have learned how to use Android Studio, how to create a XML page, and then utilize Java to make it function, I've learned how to apply array lists, and deal with annoying type errors by casting. Most importantly, I learned that programming can be rewarding and creative. This is my first experience creating a final product with my code, and every time I troubleshot my way through an error or got a page to work, I was so excited and proud of that small moment.

What's next for One Step

To continue my work on One Step, I would root my point system based on carbon estimations to create a more objective and accurate tally of impactful actions. It would be beneficial to add streaks for when users hit 100% to create another motivation to take on sustainable practices. I am also passionate about the value and integration of artificial intelligence in our lives. I believe that AI could also be integrated into One Step to give relevant prompts and change the goal as users exceed or plateau at a goal.

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