ZyncUp

Login and Calendar Designs
Settings and Meetings Designs

Inspiration

In today’s world, busy schedules and different time zones make it harder than ever to coordinate plans with friends and family across the globe. Sometimes I’m busy, sometimes they are, and even when we make plans, they often get canceled due to time zone confusion or the struggle to find a common free time. This problem arises even when it’s just two people, and it’s even worse in a group. The endless messages, misaligned calendars, and last-minute cancellations only create unnecessary distance.

What it does

ZyncUp takes the hassle out of scheduling by syncing Google Calendars across friends and family, automatically suggesting the best meeting times. It calculates a common free time for all members of a group while considering smart time zone adjustments, group scheduling, and seamless integrations—making planning meetups easier than ever. Meeting times are displayed in each user’s respective time zone and are limited to the most practical hours, from 8 AM to 2 AM. Whether it’s a quick coffee catch-up, a simple group call, or a weekend getaway, ZyncUp finds the perfect slot—so you don’t have to.

How we built it

We built the backend using Node.js, Firebase as our database, and Google Calendar API to sync calendars. For the frontend, we designed the UI in Figma and developed it using React.

Challenges we faced

One of the biggest challenges we faced was setting up Firebase authentication and ensuring it worked seamlessly across different time zones. Converting meeting times into each user’s respective time zone was also tricky, but we eventually figured it out. Initially, we were unsure which database to use and experimented with both MongoDB and Firebase. After careful consideration, we decided that for this particular project, the Firebase was the better choice.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We explored many new tools that we initially had minimal knowledge of, including building an entire working app in just 36 hours. We successfully learned how to set up Firebase, API integration and full-stack development like Node.js and Figma which we’re especially proud of. At times, we were stuck on various errors for long stretches, but through constant effort and perseverance, we managed to fix them—some only in the final hours. Our determination to learn new technologies, implement what we already knew, and apply our newly gained knowledge is what we are most proud of.

What's next for ZyncUp

Currently, we have developed a web app. In the future, we aim to expand it into a mobile app for a more seamless user experience. We also plan to integrate AI to provide intelligent time recommendations. Additionally, we envision connecting platforms like Zoom, FaceTime, and WhatsApp, along with Google Calendar, to streamline call scheduling and enhance collaboration.