Foodski
Challenge
Overview Foodski is an Android and iOS compatible application that aims to connect people with excess food with those who want it. The idea of the app was conceptualized with an aim to reduce the load of 4-million tons of food waste that happen in Australia alone eachyear. Business Requirements The creators of the concept felt the dire need to offer a platform for conscious Australian citizens looking to connect with people in need of their uneaten, excess food. Requirements such as mapping excess food across Australia, creating a platform where the giver and the receiver can connect with each other, share images of the food and reserve it were the core requirement from this platform. Key Challenges Among the few challenges involved in executing this vision, the core one was to create an app that reaches a large volume of users across Australia. There was a need of a user-friendly app across multiple operating systems, enabling maximum registrations and use. Other challenges included a user-friendly application for iOS as well as Android that provides a consistent app experience to interested users. Features including photo uploads of foods, searching for available excess food in your area, features that allowed secure communication between the parties involved in reserving and giving away the excess food. -Need of an iOS as well as Android App that would keep real-time track of users excess food and users with the need of excess food. -A easy registration process to maximize network -Generating alerts and notifications -Build an online community of citizens who appreciate the need to give-away and receive excess food and avoid wastage. -An app that facilitated GPS tracking and user connectivity across areas in Australia.
Solution
We developed an application for iOS 8.0 and up for iPhone, iPad and iPhone, as well as Android 4.0 and up devices that allows people across towns in Australia to connect with people in their neighborhoods. The app included the capability to upload their food on a map, allowing users to view and reserve the excess food they would like to pick up. Built on the Swift 2.3 language, the app consisted of the following features – -User Calling – Users can make calls to each other using the Sign API, enabling easy co-ordinating for food pick-ups or drop offs. -Messaging Module – For users who would prefer to simply chat with other users, basic queries regarding the excess food and co-ordination for pick-ups and drop offs can take place using the messaging module that has been developed for the app. -Google Maps Integration – The app comes with the capability of uploading the location where excess food is available. By integrating the app with Google Maps, we are able to help users locate excess food in their locality and also get directions with coordinating the food pick-ups and drops. -Marker Clustering – This features helps show counts of excess food available in a specific locality. -Image Cropping – Users uploading food can benefit from the image cropping feature that allows you to post relevant pictures of the food items you intend to give away. -Push Notifications – The Android and iOS devices provide push notifications to users when new excess food is added within their selected radius.
Results
Now users across various locales in Australia are able to venture on a drive to save unwanted food wastage. With this feature rich app, Foodski makes it easy for users to connect with others, give-away unused food-items, help the environment and also save money. The app requires an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch with iOS version 8.0 and above or an Android with version 4.0 and above on a network in Australia.The app has been extremely well received among an increasingly conscious youth groupin Australia.
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