Our project was inspired by the inefficiency and constant friction experienced by both students and faculty when managing justification requests. We aimed to create an optimized, streamlined system that reduces administrative load, minimizes errors, and accelerates communication between students and coordinators. This motivation led us to design a solution that integrates directly into the tools the university already uses, making the process seamless and intuitive.
We built the project using a combination of a Gmail Add-on and a full-stack Next.js application backed by a NoSQL database. The Gmail Add-on allows students to generate structured, standardized justification requests directly from their inbox, while the web platform provides coordinators with a unified interface to view, filter, and manage submissions efficiently.
Throughout development, we faced several challenges, including the strict limitations of Gmail Add-ons, navigating OAuth for secure authentication, and working with unfamiliar technologies. Integrating Google APIs, managing authorization flows, and designing scalable data structures in a NoSQL environment required extensive experimentation and problem-solving.
Despite these challenges, we learned a great deal. We learned how to integrate Gmail Add-ons with OAuth securely. We learned how to build a full-stack app using Next.js and NoSQL databases. We learned teamwork, debugging complex API issues, and structuring scalable flows. We learned how to connect a frontend inbox with automated email pipelines.
This project ultimately strengthened our technical expertise and demonstrated how thoughtful design and technology can significantly improve academic processes.
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