moolio

a movie for every mood

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Inspiration

After Covid-19 shook the world, many people turned to movie streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu to take a break from chaotic times, fill up unexpected free time, and escape the harsh realities that we were currently facing. Inspired by the easy to use, client tailored services and features provided by movie streaming services, such as the Random feature in Netflix, we decided to take it up a notch and create a service that provides a selection of movies just for you based on how you feel: moolio.

What it does

moolio is an IOS app that allows users to browse movies from the The Movie Database API based on their mood. A user can choose from a selection of predefined moods, and movies from genres that match the mood chosen will be displayed for the user. The user can then view the details of the movie, watch the trailer, and see if they are interested in watching it. There is also a feature that lets you change your mood, or customize the genres you want to see depending on your mood. You can even sign up and create an account to save your preferences, and log into the app to load them in.

How we built it

First, we brainstormed some ideas and requirements for what we wanted our app to accomplish. For better visual reference, we created a sketch of what we wanted our app to look like on Figma. Once we agreed on the features and made sure we were on the same page, we began implementation. We created this project on the Xcode IDE using Swift to map out and implement our app. We implemented the app in chronological order of how we wanted the user to use it. Each time a new feature was added, we tested its functionality using a simulator and made sure that it worked properly, going back and making edits as we saw fit. We uploaded our code to a remote repository using GitHub to have a backup of our work and so that both of us could access the files, since one of us was remote while another person was in person. We also created a logo that could best describe our project to a person who saw it.

Challenges we ran into

The first main challenge is that we were in different time zones, so coordinating our work times was a bit of a challenge. However, we used this to our advantage to work when the other team member was tired, or plan times when both of us were available to work. Another challenge was the actual coding. We were both relatively new to Swift, so figuring out how to get things to work was really difficult. To tackle this challenge, we used tools like pair programming and Agile software development to push through and motivate us.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The biggest accomplishment that we are proud of is being able to deploy a useable prototype of our app. With all the hurdles we had to face and the limited time and knowledge that we had, we feel proud that we were able to get this far in this hackathon. We are also proud of the mockup we created on Figma and the documentation that we added to our ReadMe in our GitHub repository, because we feel that it clearly represents our ideas for the project in full detail.

What we learned

We learned much about what it takes to build an app from start to finish. Even if the idea is simple, its implementation is certainly not. We used this opportunity to learn soft skills like patience, perseverance, teamwork, time management and adaptability while also learning technical skills like app development, researching and debugging. We hope to be able to use these skills in future projects, careers, and more!

What's next for moolio

moolio is far from completion, and there is a lot in store for its future! As mentioned in our documentation, we plan to fully implement the current functionalities in our app, add more moods, create an easier and appealing interface for users to interact with, and more features that can customize the app for its user. We are also thinking about adding a community interface that allows people to share recommendations within a group! With these additions, we hope that moolio will be able to reach its full potential and share happiness with those who use the app during these trying times, and in the future!

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