pauln15/match.comet

An intuitive Android app developed to connect UTD's nerdy and introverted community with events and activities tailored to their interests, fostering a more social and vibrant campus life.

Match.Comet

Inspiration

UTD has always had a reputation of having students who are a bit more nerdy and introverted. We are no exception to this reputation of course. In fact we are so nerdy we went ahead and built an app to help us out of our shells. Whether we are looking for relationships or just a few friends anything is possible by hopping on Match.Comet and discovering what UTD has in store for us.

What it does

Match.Comet takes a few of your preferences and tastes to generate a list of events it thinks you would be interested in. Event creators can also use utilize this app to attract visitors to their events. They can input their own events and get access to a base of people interested in their activities. Once in a while Match.Comet might even surprise you with an event you would never have even considered before and push you a little out of your comfort zone.

How we built it

We envisioned how the app layout would look like and created a few wireframes. Then using Java and XML in Android Studio we were able to create the main functions and designs of our app. Github was used for version control and various open source image libraries were used for icons.

Challenges we ran into

The initial startup was quite difficult for us as we didn’t have prior experience making apps. Saving user data was an issue we ran into as our data kept resetting after switching pages. Formatting and scrolling didn’t transfer from the emulator to phone perfectly, so lots of small tweaks were required.

Accomplishments that we are proud of

Developing an app that can connect students to events that they would be interested in that can help foster a more social and friendly environment.

What we learned

Layout and Menu creation within Android Studio. Building UIs for different screens that mesh well together. Using various elements within the palette and component trees in Android Studio.

What's next for Match.Comet

We plan on implementing a check-in system for the events that the students are interested in going to, so that it is easier for event organizers to prepare. An implementation of a rating system will help the algorithm better suggest events for the user. Eventually the profiles can be further utilized to see other people who are interested in going to the event and then make recommendations based on people who are similar.