Inspiration ##
We developed PutMeOn to support small home businesses that lack resources their own brick-and-mortar store front or other means of getting to their customers. Instead, PutMeOn encourages others to go to these home businesses. Our interest in maps and the hackathon’s RPG theme inspired us to create a gamified platform that encourages users to explore and support these businesses.
What It Does ##
PutMeOn functions as a Yelp-like platform specifically for home businesses. Owners can list their businesses, and users can discover them by searching keywords or via an interactive map. The platform also includes a reward system that incentivizes users to support local businesses.
How We Built It
We built PutMeOn using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Flask, jQuery, and Python. Initially, we had a much more ambitious vision, but due to skill limitations and costs of desired APIs, we decided to scale down our approach. Instead of using Google Maps, we integrated Leaflet.js, which allowed us to create an interactive map. We also learned how to bridge the frontend and backend using Flask, overcoming significant technical challenges in the process.
Challenges We Faced ##
One of the biggest challenges was integrating JavaScript with Python, which proved to be more complex than expected. Setting up Leaflet.js alone took about nine hours as we navigated documentation and implementation hurdles. Additionally, finding free alternatives to expensive APIs required extra research and adaptability. Learning backend development and integrating Python and our JavaScript using Flask while coding under time constraints added to the challenge, but it was a valuable experience.
Accomplishments
We successfully implemented searchable home business listings, an interactive map for locating businesses (with markers for those businesses!), and a functional, well-structured platform. One of our biggest accomplishments was getting the map and search functionality to work, which was a major breakthrough after hours of debugging and refining our approach.
Lessons Learned
We learned that there is a huge benefit to pre-planning before directly jumping into coding. We also learned that we should be more organized as we realized we were digging ourselves into a whole by realizing we should have started structuring things out differently. Through this project, we discovered that Leaflet.js is a powerful alternative to Google Maps. We gained a deeper understanding of frontend-backend communication, which is crucial for a seamless user experience. Additionally, we learned how to handle server-side data fetching and storage, as well as the importance of strategic planning before starting development to ensure a smoother workflow.
Future Plans for PutMeOn
Moving forward, we plan to implement a database for more efficient backend management and migrate the frontend to React to improve the user experience. We also want to expand the RPG elements, adding levels, badges, and achievements to further gamify the platform. Other planned features include business ratings and reviews and enhanced map functionality with filters and categorization to improve usability.
Despite the many challenges, ee are proud of what we accomplished in a short time and excited to continue refining PutMeOn into a fully realized platform.
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