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Logo :)
Inspiration
The inspiration came from a drive that I took with my family. We had no idea where and what to eat. My dad and I came up with the idea to open up a restaurant called Undecided which would be the HUB for all things to food and going out.
What it does
Undecided is a decision engine that uses Google Maps API that allows users to find a spot to eat, drink, watch some sports, go out clubbing, etc. This allows me to give the user step-by-step directions, ratings, reviews, images, and insight on the area and the place itself.
What is the "social twist"?
The "social twist" is allowing the user to post their decision to go somewhere for everyone to see around the world. The post is added to "The Feed" (no pun intended) and allows someone from Russia to see what and where someone will be eating in New York. This is all based on user privacy settings as well, no post will be made without the users permission. You can add friends, save locations, give advice on what to eat, etc.
How I built it
The back-end was completely PHP. The front-end is HTML, CSS, and JS.
Challenges I ran into
Well the challenges that any decision engine has to surpass is the "what the user wants" challenge. The whole idea of a decision engine is to actually show relevant information. If the user searches for food you don't your engine to direct them to a place that sells diapers. The challenge with Google Maps API was really specifying the keywords, category, distance, and mode of travel.
The other challenge was really being able to pull the user base to use it. The ability to see where your friends go to eat and what they have, being able to post your decision, getting step-by-step directions, and giving/receiving tips on what to eat and where, is really the core of the engine.
It is hard to create something that people will actually use.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
I created this project by myself. This was the biggest back-end project that I have ever worked on.
What I learned
I learned how to properly use Google Maps API. I also learned how to create something that would be user-friendly, social, and fun to use.
What's next for undecided
Really, the next step is to continue development and really pushing for a more social experience. Undecided will soon have a search option that will allow you to find places to eat at a location before you're even there.
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