Cardz.me

For seamless first-time meetings and contact sharing, and frictionless future communication.

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Inspiration

Even though technology speeds up many areas of our lives, the process of saving contact information is no faster than it was with pencil and paper. The daily exchange of emails then phone numbers then other information is tedious at best, and a waste of time at worst. With current methods of directly inputting information into contacts, considerable amounts of time are lost, leaving fewer opportunities for talking or networking. This direct input also leads to either rapidly entered, disorganized contact lists, or a mess of business cards that seems impossible to sort through.

With this in mind, we created Cardz.me. Through it, we aim to expedite the information sharing process through instant contact information exchange.

What it does

Cardz.me has two components: a mobile app which uses a QR code to contain identifying information, and a website which appears when the QR code is scanned and allows the QR code scanner to swap information.

The mobile app allows the user to create a profile. This includes the user's name, bio, business contact information (including email, address, and website profiles), meeting location, and important details about themselves. The user can also indicate whether they want to use two-way contact sharing (default) or not. This information is attached to a QR code, so information can be shared even if the person scanning it don't have the app.

When the QR code is scanned, the app user's information is immediately added to the contacts of the person scanning it. The person who scanned is then directed to a website where they see the app user's information and are able to send their own information back. Once the exchange occurs, the information of the person scanning is added to the contacts of the app user. In this way, the "business card" of an individual can instantly be shared and swapped.

How we built it

For the iPhone app, ReactNative and Javascript are used to create it, including the account's QR code and user information. Firebase is then used to store this information and send it to the person who scanned the QR code. Flask, specifically Javascript and CSS, are used to design the webpage that the person who scanned the QR code is taken to. Flask then stores the person who scanned the QR code's information and sends it back to Firebase, which sends it to the mobile app user's phone.

Challenges we ran into

  • Coming up with a great Figma wireframe design was time-consuming
  • We had trouble finding an idea, and didn't end up deciding on one until Friday night/Saturday morning

Accomplishments we're proud of

  • The website works and looks similar to our Figma design
  • Live and working version of the mobile app in React Native / VCF encoding works
  • We got the website live!

What we learned

  • How to use Flask for Javascript/CSS
  • How to use GitHub and Devpost
  • How to put together a product quickly

What's next for Cardz.me?

We were not able to put the app on the app store or have the website function fully due to time constraints. Moving forward, we'd like to implement these features to have a completely functional product.

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