RankIt

Sign-in page
Homepage
Review page
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Posting
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Interacting with posts

Inspiration

It all started with a simple frustration- how do students at UNSW find the best courses, the cleanest bathrooms, or the best food spots without relying on scattered opinions or trial and error? and where or how do people complain about campus life?

We realised there was no centralised, student-driven platform to rank and review these everyday aspects of campus life. That’s when Rank It was born, a solution built by students, for students, to make university life more informed and hassle-free.

What it does

Rank It is a website designed for UNSW students to rank and review courses, bathrooms, food, colleges, and more. By providing real-time feedback, Rank It helps students make informed choices, from selecting courses to finding the cleanest bathrooms or best food spots.

Features:

Make a post
Rate out of 5.0
Include images and descriptions
Like or dislike a post
Comment and reply on existing posts

How we built it

RankIT was developed using TypeScript in the Node.js environment. The front-end was developed using the Next.js development framework and TailwindCSS to maintain a sleek user-friendly design, while the backend makes use of Firebase to manage user authentication, and Multer to handle data uploads. The use of Firebase also positions RankIT for future scalability.

Challenges we ran into

Building RankIT came with several challenges such as designing a user-friendly interface, connecting the front-end and back-end which took time, especially when integrating Firebase features like real-time data storage, authentication, and image uploads. Additionally, we faced time constraints, meaning optimisation of the user experience and performance remains an area for future improvement.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We successfully built a fully functional platform that allows students to share and access valuable insights in real time. The seamless user experience, combined with the ability to interact with the community, makes RankIT an engaging and useful tool. We're especially proud of the scalability and efficiency of our system, ensuring smooth performance even as more students contribute their insights.

What we learned

This project strengthened our understanding of Firebase and JavaScript, especially in handling real-time data, authentication, and user interactions. We learned how to build a functional, interactive platform under tight deadlines, balancing core features with future scalability.

Another key learning experience was adapting to the stimulus of the project quickly, as we had to come up with a problem-solving product under tight deadlines. Additionally, we learned how to deliver an engaging pitch, ensuring our idea was presented clearly and persuasively to potential users and stakeholders.

What's next for RankIt

Moving forward, we aim to optimise performance, add more interactive features, and enhance the overall user experience. Future improvements will include better filtering options, enriching the platform with Ai, and expanding RankIT beyond UNSW. We also see potential for collaborations with university services and local businesses to gain insight into student feedback and further enrich the platform’s value.