TartanHabari App

Login screen
Navigator Screen
Home Screen
News or announcements
Solid Mind Screen
Suggestion Screen
Settings or user Profile

Inspiration

At CMU-Africa, we are a diverse, driven, and deeply connected community. Yet, even in such an environment, something crucial was missing: a central, trusted space where students and staff could truly stay informed, feel heard, and support one another. The inspiration came from both the noticed gap for such a platform and also from a simple, familiar word: Habari, a Swahili word that means information and is also used as "What's the news?" or "How are you?". It's more than a question; it's an invitation to connect, to share, and to care. We combined this cultural expression with a symbol of our community's spirit, Tartan, the fabric that represents our roots and unified CMU identity. Together, TartanHabari was created: a digital space designed to reflect both who we are and how we care for one another. What it does TartanHabari is more than just an app, it's a community link-up. It brings together communication, wellness, and learning in one place. It helps users bridge the gap between students and staff through real-time campus announcements and opportunities, access mental wellness resources and self-care tips from Solid Minds, stay updated with course materials and notices, share anonymous feedback empowering every voice to be heard, and foster a sense of belonging and community in a fast-paced academic environment. In an era where information is scattered and student well-being can be overlooked, TartanHabari brings everything under one roof, tailored specifically for the CMU-Africa community.

How we built it

We built TartanHabari using a mobile-first approach for accessibility and simplicity. The app's backend is powered by Firebase for authentication, real-time updates, and cloud storage. The frontend was developed using Flutter, ensuring cross-platform compatibility on both Android and iOS devices. We integrated push notifications for instant alerts, a feedback form with anonymous submission capabilities, and an API connection to Solid Minds' mental wellness resources. The UI design was inspired by CMU-Africa's brand identity, emphasizing clarity, warmth, and inclusivity.

Challenges we ran into

We faced several challenges including integrating multiple data sources such as announcements, wellness resources, and feedback into one cohesive platform, balancing privacy and usability especially for anonymous submissions, managing design consistency while accommodating different user roles including students, faculty, staff, and Solid Minds representatives, and working within time constraints during prototyping and testing phases.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud of coming up with an idea that directly addresses the CMU-Africa community's needs, creating a prototype that successfully unites communication, wellness, and academic updates in one intuitive interface, developing an inclusive platform that reflects CMU-Africa's values of collaboration, innovation, and self-care, receiving positive feedback from peers who found the concept relatable and necessary, and building a technically sound foundation ready for expansion and real-world deployment.

What we learned

Through this project, we learned the importance of human-centered design when developing community products, how to handle real-time data and secure authentication efficiently using Firebase, and the challenges of balancing technical feasibility with user empathy.

What's next for TartanHabari App

Looking ahead, we plan to add features such as study spot booking that lasts for 24 hours for everyone on campus to use, implement AI-driven personalization for content recommendations and wellness insights, integrate event management features and club updates, explore a web version for broader accessibility, and partner with CMU administration and Solid Minds to ensure sustained use and data privacy. Our vision is to make TartanHabari a lasting digital home for connection, care, and community at CMU-Africa, and eventually, a model for other campuses across Africa.