Inspiration
Living in a busy city, I noticed how hard it was to connect with people beyond surface-level interactions—even with shared hobbies. I wanted to build something that turns "I love hiking" into "I hike with 142 locals every weekend"—a space for real, in-person connection, not just online scrolling.
What it does
Interest Group Hub lets users discover local interest groups (hiking, books, tech, etc.), join or create groups, RSVP to events, share photos/files, vote in polls, and split event costs fairly. It’s all about turning online connections into real-world community.
How we built it
Started with wireframing core pages (Home, Group Discovery, Event Detail) in Figma, then built the frontend with React/TypeScript for interactivity. Used Tailwind CSS for responsive design, Firebase for lightweight storage, and React Router for smooth navigation. Focused on role-based access (Admin/Member) for group tools like poll creation and attendance tracking.
Challenges we ran into
Designing intuitive RSVP logic (one status per user, real-time count updates) was tricky—we had to ensure no duplicate votes and seamless status changes. Also, balancing accessibility with a dynamic UI (e.g., disabled buttons for non-members) required iterative testing.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We built a fully functional, responsive platform where users can join public/private groups, create events, and collaborate—all with a focus on usability. The expense-splitting feature (per-person cost = total ÷ attendees) works flawlessly, and role-based controls keep group management streamlined.
What we learned
We deepened our understanding of state management in React, UX design for Western user preferences (clarity, simplicity), and building flexible filter/sort systems for group/event discovery. Most importantly, we learned to prioritize real-world user needs over technical complexity.
What's next for this project
We plan to add real-time messaging for group members, integrate map-based location search, and roll out email notifications for event reminders. Long-term, we want to expand payment processing for event fees and build a mobile-friendly version for on-the-go use.
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