upStreet: Integrated platform for helping your community.

In a post pandemic world, there are many groups which lack availability of necessities and utilities. We aim to create an all-in-one app that helps communities build back better through mutual aid.

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Inspiration

Around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has touched countless lives and affected numerous communities. We were inspired by the struggle of less fortunate individuals in our own neighborhoods, as we witnessed the people's involvement in the efforts made to help those in need of help. By creating the platform for local community organizing and charity, we believe we can create a sense of community self-betterment through mutual efforts.

What it does

We have designed an app that enables communities and neighborhoods to work closer together in order to help out each other. This will be done through three main aspects: data aggregation, service requests, and crowdfunding. These features of our application will allow our users to more effectively address the needs of their fellow neighbors and contribute to building back better.

The first section of the app is the “request” section, where users can post a request which other users can fulfill. Users enter details about their request into a form and submit it.

The next section of the app is the “give” section where users may browse a map-like interface to find and fulfill these requests. Users from other websites can also carry out these requests.

Finally, there will be a “projects” section where users can contribute to local long-term crowdfunding campaigns. These initiatives will be aggregated from sites such as GoFundMe.

How we built it

The app layout and graphical user interface was modeled using Figma. This allows us to demo the app on the most popular smartphones running iOS or Android and evaluate the experience that we will deliver to the end user. We are able to simulate buttons and the features of our application that we will eventually code using SwiftUI or Android Studio/JavaScript. Additionally, we created a flowchart of our technological process using LucidCharts. This will allow us to better visualize the functions that we will need to incorporate into our design and how we will derive continuously updated data from a. variety of sources in order to keep the app up to date.

Challenges we ran into

The main challenge that we were faced with was how to properly conceptualize the interactions between the existing platforms (GoFundMe, Uber Eats, Facebook Marketplace, etc.). The goal was to seamlessly combine information into a single application and make it easier for users to pitch in and help out their communities. When designing the application, we utilized a development flowchart internally to map out our functions and visualize each of the interactions. We were able to overcome this challenge and properly identify the fundamental goals in creating this application.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Throughout this Saturday, we utilized a wide range of software to complete all the necessary tasks for the project. We used software such as Figma, Paint.net, Lucid Flowcharts, Canva, OBS Studio, and more. This inspired us to become better thinkers and quickly generate solutions on our feet. The world is moving at a fast pace in order to recover from the effects of COVID-19 and we need to meet the demand for solutions to face the challenges of the present and the future. We believed that we demonstrated those qualities over the past 24 hours.

What we learned

The main concept that we learned was how to walk through all the steps of the engineering design process in a consolidated fashion. Steps such as brainstorming, prototyping, and optimization usually take anywhere from weeks to years, especially in professional environments. With the time constraints provided by this competition, we learned how to think on our feet and quickly move through the steps in a timely fashion.

What's next for upStreet

The next logical step for upStreet is to turn the conceptual idea into an actual platform. We hope to reach out to developers, companies, and app platforms (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) in order to turn an app from theoretical to functional. We want to use this idea to help communities build back better and move forward towards a better world.

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