SafeBites
Problem Statement
Finding Restaurants During COVID-19
After months of quarantine because of COVID-19, restaurants are slowly reopening. Yet how do customers know which restaurants best follow health regulations, especially for individuals at higher risk?
Solution
Helping Restaurants Highlight their Safety Measures
SafeBite addresses this dilemma by providing a platform for customers to review restaurants’ compliance to the Center of Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Results
Recognition
Won 1st Place in the MIT App Inventor 2020 Hackathon Youth Team Category. Interviewed for a CNN Digital article. Launched app for 20 restaurants.
Context
Drew Inspiration from Personal Experiences
During the summer of 2020, I teamed up with five friends who were inspired by the closure of one of our friend's family restaurants. We started to explore ways we could highlight the hard work restaurants were putting in to protect customers during the pandemic.
Proof of Concept
Gauged Desirably and Built Momentum
Brought Ideas to Life
Created an app for the one week long MIT App Inventor Hackathon. Won first place for the youth team category.
Online Excitement
Our work was covered by CNN Digital and featured on their instagram.
Revised Design
Honed Use Cases and Features
Homepage Quick Actions
Relevant filters
View nearby restaurants
Restaurant Detail Page
Restaurant summary
Option to explore information more in depth
Rating
Updated rating-metrics based on CDC guidelines
Profile Page
Save restaurants
View recent ratings and comments
Coding
Responsibilites
Organized the front-end architecture to utilize components, enabling faster development and easier maintenance.
Utilized APIs from Yelp, Google, and Apple Maps to enhance functionality and provide users with comprehensive location-based information.
Collaborated with the backend developer to ensure accurate data was pulled from Firebase.
Adapted the code to ensure compatibility across different phone sizes, as well as iOS and Android devices.
Next Steps
Fleeting Wave Of Demand
The team reached out to 20 local restaurants to beta test the application. However, at the point we were ready to launch we realized that our approach to addressing our users' needs was inherently short-sighted. It was apparent that larger companies like Yelp and Google would eventually incorporate similar features into their products. Our app fulfilled a "spike demand" rather than addressing a longer-term need. Still, I enjoyed working on the project and gained valuable skills in the process. In the future, I recognize that my focus should be on creating products with enduring utility, rather than catering to short-lived trends.
Reflection
Managing Virtual Work
The app came to life during the COVID lockdown, which meant a whole lot of Zoom sessions. Collaborating virtually brought its own set of pros and cons, and it was a valuable learning experience for me. The key lesson here is all about communication! I found that things worked smoother when people regularly shared their progress, especially in the realm of software development. I started adopting this practice myself because, well, I appreciated when others did it. Turns out, those regular updates were way better at keeping everyone on the same page. Sure, it might have been easier for us since we were a smaller and tech-savvy team, but it taught me to truly value the concept of sharing work and ideas collaboratively.
