Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/aroundme-catalyst-2023-designathon
What problem our solution addresses Community organizations strive to bring people together from different backgrounds to learn more about one another and create a supportive environment. To do this, many organizations host events from volunteering to banquets to enrichment classes. However, advertising events are a challenge on its own. Community members may find it difficult to come across these events, especially if they aren’t already involved in these organizations. There is a lack of a platform that allows for the discovery of local events that match specific interests and prompt a connection for like-minded individuals in a community. Therefore, this difficulty of outreach that organizations face, combined with the need for an effective communication method with community members, poses an opportunity for the creation of an app that is a reliable platform to discover, sign up, and enjoy community events.
Why we picked this solution aroundme allows for community members to effectively help and engage with other like-minded individuals. It is a platform where community organizations post their upcoming events, and users can discover and sign up for them. Events posted by organizations are shown to community members based on their interests, and users are able to sign up for events with a click of a button. It offers easy-to-access information about local events, which are automatically placed in a calendar when users sign up for them. Through the features listed above, the challenges of outreach can be overcome as community organizers now have a secure platform to effectively manage and advertise their events, while community members have easy access to events that peak their interests. As a result, a tighter-knit community can be created and maintained.
How we built it We initially met to brainstorm possible ideas for the 3 given categories. We narrowed down our ideas to an app that would enable people to be more involved in their community. From there, we sketched out the first draft of our layout. This went through several revisions and additions as we then used Figma to bring our vision to life.
Challenges we ran into The biggest challenge we encountered was struggling with time and inexperience. Most of us were not familiar with Figma, so we spent time, in the short window we had, learning as we designed.
Accomplishments that we're proud of Successfully working together with a new team is always something to be proud of. We’re proud of our teamwork and communication skills. Since this is the first designathon any of us have participated in, we’re very proud to be able to present a project!
What we learned We not only learned the technical aspects of user experience through Figma, but the soft skills needed to work with team members in different time zones and backgrounds. We learned to accommodate each other’s schedules, adapt to each other’s working styles, and assist each other through technical challenges.
Team Members Yu Wati Nyi, Winnie Liang, Claire Tseng