Beam App | Devpost

Home page of Beam's website.
Beam's Explore page.
Demonstrating an interaction on the Explore page.
Beam's Login page.

Inspiration

In light of recent events, the news can feel overwhelming and create feelings of hopelessness. We were inspired to create a bridge among community members to stay in contact with marginalized groups amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overlooked groups facing inequality are especially disadvantaged in the face of drastic social obstacles. We aimed to empower community members to share knowledge, know-how to develop their skill sets and become involved, active members of the community. Now, more than ever, do people need to unify and overcome social crises.

What it does

Beam app is a hobby-based network that reimagines education through experiences. Users can browse through volunteer opportunities in different locations by hobby type. For personal development, users can connect with local hobby groups of interest to maintain a connection to their community, learn from all walks of life and see the different challenges people face.

Organizations seeking volunteer help can make volunteer postings and attract users from all different skill sets. They can manage applications and projects on the app or browse through user profiles to contact users they’re interested in.

Ultimately, Beam aims to create a direct channel of communication among members in need of support and those available to offer it. We believe that by creating a personal connection, users would stay engaged, feel empowered and advocate for social justice.

How we built it

Beam was built through a long, iterative process, beginning from persona creation to a final high-fidelity prototype.

Personas were created to understand Beam App’s appeal. In this stage, we were able to identify unique points of interaction that connect with users and encourage more engagement. In addition, we were able to identify Beam’s edge over traditional methods of volunteer searching. Users would often see outdated posts, or had difficulty finding posts relevant to their skillset.

Site mapping was done as a foundation to understanding user flow. Here, we were able to create an outline of pages we could reasonably aim to complete within the Hackville time frame. A mid-fidelity prototype was sent to the developers, and a high-fidelity prototype began to develop whilst the foundational framework was in being built.

Finally, a high-fidelity prototype was produced after brainstorming colour palettes, mood boards and style tiles. We aimed for a nature theme mixed with modern accents to remind users that their first community to take care of is the planet.

Challenges we ran into

Adobe XD was difficult to collaborate initially since it failed to recognize files despite users having the most updated versions. After many tries of uninstalling, it was finally willing to cooperate.

Devpost unfortunately deleted a great portion of our work which needed to be redone. However, it was a good lesson to copy written work before changing the page.

Collaboration was initially a challenge, since all team members were strangers at the start of Hackville. Eventually, a team dynamic was formed and members became supportive teammates that produced work representative of a diverse skillset.

Timing was difficult since designers needed to quickly produce a low-fidelity prototype for developers to code. Communication was crucial in providing timely updates and encouraging everyone to stay attentive to group chats.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of creating a solution that not only helps reduce feelings of isolation, but also encourages community involvement. We believe our product reflects our ability to make critical decisions in a short time frame, solace problems creatively and demonstrates our technical skill.

What we learned

In developing Beam App, we learned to consistently assess the effective use of time. We decided what was reasonable quickly and created a strong foundation for Beam App’s vision. Not only did we learn from each other’s different skills, we were inspired by each of our unique creative thinking to produce an innovative solution.

What's next for Beam App

Our vision for Beam App is to continue the empowerment and connection to our local communities. If we can all be a beam of support to our neighbours, we could help the world shine on amongst difficulties.