rally

Home Screen
Search function to find protests
Route Planning
QR code generated for private protests
Each movement has their own page with protests
Customizable features

Inspiration

Looking back on 2020, we noticed that there was a huge shift towards speaking out and demanding change. We wanted to create a platform that would both connect passionate users with movements related to their beliefs as well as allow organizers to set-up their own events and reach attendees. The app aims to encourage individuals to speak out about what they believe in and bring together communities with a common goal in mind. We also wanted to inform protestors about key information as well as incorporate customization so that users are well-prepared for any upcoming protests.

What it does

The app gives users access to key information about attending protests including First-Aid tips, Rights, and Protest Schedules/Routes. The home page operates as a widget screen in which each widget with contains a key piece of information or a customizable feature. Users can swap out widgets based on their needs. Additionally, the app allows users to search for protests and confirm their attendance, helping organizers gauge their audience size. The app also caters towards protest organizers and allows them to set up their own protests and post them either publicly or privately. Private protests will have restricted visibility and can only be joined through a QR code which is generated upon protest creation.

How we built it

The app was built using React Native, JavaScript, Node.js and ReactJS. We used expo as an emulator and Figma to draft our designs. To divide the work, we decided to give each member an equal share of the workload, and partition the work so every member could work concurrently. This way, nobody was forced to slow down and wait for others. Since one of our group members was more comfortable with UI and graphic design, we thought it was the most efficient use of his talent to allocate most of the Figma designs to him, while the other 3 members worked on the code. This way we made the best use of all of our talents, to work as efficiently and as contentedly as possible.

Challenges we ran into

We were also challenged by the remote-nature of the hackathon that forced us to find creative ways to work collaboratively, split up our code and finally put it all together. Given our limited experience working with the mentioned languages, debugging was challenging as we were unfamiliar with common errors and how to address them. Additionally, we had team-members working on both Android and iOS devices which made it difficult to combine the code given styling differences between the different devices.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Prior to this weekend, three of our members had never been exposed to React Native and two of our members were first time hackers! Given our limited experience, we are extremely proud of what we were able to accomplish in such short time.

What we learned

We were able to develop a much stronger understanding of react-native including styling, screen navigation and state-hooks. We also gained experience working with Figma as a designing and prototyping tool that was crucial in the planning and execution of our app design. Besides the valuable technical skills we developed, we also developed strong communication, team-work and time-management skills. We learned to be resourceful and take every challenge as an opportunity to learn.

What's next for Rally

We hope to be able to build upon our app through increased functionality in terms of profile and protest creation. Additionally we would like to incorporate direct communication with others through our app, which might be done by incorporating Signal's app interface. Signal is an encrypted messaging app that allows users to communicate directly and privately regarding protests and messages are deleted shortly after events to protect users. We also aim to improve accuracy of protest search by optimizing word detection and allowing advanced search options such as search by location. Overall we hope to maintain a positive and user-friendly environment for both individuals and organizers to come together and make a change in their local or greater community.