SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SUBTEAM
The Software Development team is partnering with a local non-profit, Sustainable Tompkins, to build a sustainability-based app compatible with both iOS and Android. The goal of the app is two-fold: to encourage the practice of carbon-offsetting and to promote sustainable practices. Regarding carbon offsetting, we hope to promote projects that actively work to reduce CO2 emissions in order to compensate for CO2 emissions made elsewhere. On the app, users will have the option to offset their car or airplane travel, offset their energy usage, or simply make a quick offset. In turn, the Finger Lakes Climate Fund will use these offsets to fund residential energy efficiency projects for low to moderate income households in the Finger Lakes region. In addition to the carbon offsetting portion, the app will also promote sustainability by providing users with information about various sustainability practices and tips to reduce one's carbon footprint. Users can save tips which then can be easily referenced in the future. Ultimately, our team hopes that our project will impact communities both locally and beyond the Ithaca area, eventually having a lasting impact both by making carbon-offsetting more accessible and by encouraging sustainable practices.
SPRING 2020
Identify the project with local non-profit, Sustainable Tompkins, and begin initial project planning; Establish the Software Development Subteam and working dynamics with UX/UI designers and product owner; User Research to gain insight on the needs of the community; Research best tools and technologies for implementation and learn the necessary frameworks; App mockup with UX/UI designers; Set up three main screens of the app: offset screen, actions screen, me screen
FALL 2020
Set up new member education process; Expand the team to four software developers; Continue front end implementation using React Native, JavaScript, and Expo; Implement navigation functionality; Build the car travel, air travel, building, and quick offset forms on the offset screen; Set up the action screen with various green tips for users to live a more sustainable lifestyle
SPRING 2021
Expand the team to six software developers; Begin backend implementation using Firebase; Implement data saving functionality across screens for green tips; Implement error handling on carbon offset forms; Add section highlighting offset donors; Style screens to meet designer’s and product owner’s requirements; Begin designing and implementing the payment portion of the app
FALL 2021
Expand the team to seven software developers; Implement payment functionality using Stripe; Implement the cart functionality; Implement notifications functionality; Utilize Google location and distance APIs for the carbon offset forms; Begin screen proofing so that the app stays consistent across various android and ios devices
SPRING 2022
Expand the team with two UX/UI designers; Continue implementing payment functionality using Stripe; Continue debugging Google APIs and error handling on offset forms; Build the checkout screen; Implement user’s lifetime offset feature on offset screen and me screen
