Flex Finder

Inspiration

For many university students, it's hard to find time for exercise in their busy schedules, and even harder to find friends to exercise with. Because of this, a general sense of apathy is the only barrier between students and good health. In a recent study, 72% of students surveyed said they would work out if they had someone else to work out with. If we reduce the friction in the process of finding a workout buddy with a schedule that matches yours, and motivating factors are added into the mix, that barrier can easily be broken.

What it does

Flex Finder is a modern solution to the above problem space. Combining the familiar and intuitive user flows of current popular apps such as Uber, Tinder and Snapchat, Flex Finder re-contextualizes them for social good in the form of an easy, convenient and fun social media platform for exercise. The app allows users to easily see and connect with nearby potential work-out buddies, using Location Services with Google Maps API. There are filters for types of work-out, routine, and the ability to track work-out schedules. When work-outs are followed through with, users increase their "Flex Score", an implementation of gamification, encouraging users to exercise more frequently.

How we built it

We used Android Studio with Java and XML for development, along with Google Maps API. For prototyping and mock-up designs, we used Marvel and Figma, respectively.

Challenges we ran into

Implementation of APIs was harder than expected, due to limited documentation available. In addition, some of us were diving into mobile development for the first time. This caused a steep learning curve for all members of the team.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The ability to work as a team to develop a full-fledged UI/UX design, and having an aesthetically-pleasing but functional final product was exciting. Also, the implementation of Google Maps API working properly was satisfying to see.

What we learned

For some of us, it was our first time experiencing source control using Git, so navigating and learning that was very beneficial. We also got a chance to play with new APIs for the first time, which was both scary and exciting.

What's next for Flex Finder

In the future, we hope to implement a complete, robust database for all user information. We also hope to implement leaderboards, as further motivation to exercise with your buddy. There are also plans to expand beyond just university students, and into the wider community at large.