Hackbright Project Intro
It is officially week 4 at Hackbright and our personal projects are starting next week. What an incredible feeling to finally begin my journey as a software engineer! At last, we can implement all of the new programs, languages and concepts that we've been tirelessly (on some days, sleeplessly) learning to procure our very first - and very own - web application. Without further ado, I present to you, my Everest for the next month.
My concept revolves around helping users nurture the most important relationships in their lives. Have you ever been a situation where you lost touch with a friend after you transitioned to a new job or to a new city? What about with former coworkers or bosses? Are you as close with them as you would like? Some relationships are too important or too valuable for us to afford losing, yet, many of us do not actively set aside time in our calendars to remind ourselves to reach out to that person. Similarly, when was the last time that you were at a networking event or a company party where you couldn't remember a particular fact about someone or didn't have anything to talk about with that important someone? It's good practice to keep track of the likes, dislikes, goals, concerns, etc. about every person meaningful to you and that's accomplished best when you have something to reference. That's where my app comes in handy. It provides a space for you to look out for these topics in your conversations and record your observations. Imagine how much more impactful your follow-ups would be if you could accurately recall the details shared in your last interaction with that person.
To get started, users import their closest circle, then categorize each contact by 'Friend,' 'Family' or 'Professional,' and the app handles the rest! Each contact is automatically scheduled as an event in your calendar with a tip on how to reach out.
Depending on the type of contact, the scheduled frequency of tips and events will vary. For example, for a mentor (professional contact), the event would read: "Rachel, it's been three months since your last meeting with your mentor, Jane Doe. Send her a quick email to see how she's doing! She would love to hear from you." Reminders about a contact who is a friend would suggest: "Hey Rachel! Jessica's been wondering about you. Send her a text to grab dinner this week."
The frequency of these 'nudges' have defaults of quarterly reminders for professional contacts and monthly reminders for friends and family, but are customizable to fit each user's needs. The same goes for the tips - the app provides a set of defaults appropriate to each type of contact, but can be tailored to fit the needs of the user. Notifications can also be snoozed, however, this feature can only be used once before the reminders stop.
My project idea has been cleared with my advisor and she has given the green light for my concept. The flow of the project beginning Monday, August 8 will be as follows:
Data model
Coding / Proof of Concept
Primary / Secondary Features
Nice to Haves / Testing
Visual Design
The data model, coding, proof of concept and features, collectively referred to as the minimum viable project (MVP), must be done by Friday, August 19. If I haven't accomplished what I would have liked by then, the project's scope will be narrowed at that time. On Friday, September 2, there will be a hard transition from the focus on features (i.e. Python and Javascript) to a focus on the design (HTML, CSS, Boostrap, testing). Our apps will be deployed via Heroku as of Tuesday, September 6. The moment of truth - Career Day - is Wednesday, September 7.
I look forward to documenting my trials and tribulations, wins and most importantly, share what I've learned so that I can hopefully prevent someone from making the same mistakes I have.
Stay tuned!