Ride Home

2023 Lexhack Project

Comment

Inspiration

While the topic may sound a little out of the blue, my inspiration from this project actually comes from my own experiences. I can't even count how many times I've had to wait an extra hour or so because my bus driver simply didn't show up or my bus was cancelled at the last minute. I figured there must be many more like me who faced this problem and decided to build a solution that was practical while also meeting this project's theme, automated adaption.

What it does

The project is basically a common platform of communication for schools and bus companies that automates the tedious emails they use to communicate. Bus companies can partner with us to create a bus roster and alert students about any changes/updates directly to students. Likewise, students can track their bus and sign up for alerts so that they can actually know beforehand when their bus will be delayed, cancelled, etc so that they can plan accordingly.

How we built it

Building this was quite a journey. I created a whole idea on whiteboard and was halfway through it when I scrapped it due to second thought. Nonetheless, the web pages were created with HTML and CSS styling along with some backend Javascript for smoother transitions and hyperlinks. I planned this project in a chronological kind of way where I thought of it as an entire process. First you sign up, then you enter credentials, update information, etc.

Challenges we ran into

I face a lot of challenges while building this because this is my first time creating a full fledged website from scratch. I had no idea how to properly style in CSS, didn't know sophisticated Javascript syntax, and was literally a beginner from every aspect. More specifically though, one of the biggest challenges I faced was the positioning of elements. It took me eons to properly place images and elements so that they flowed well and looked good.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

My biggest accomplishment throughout this whole project was that I managed three languages I knew virtually nothing about simultaneously while facing a two day deadline. But more specifically, I'm proud of the smooth transitions I made on the buttons and navigation bars.

What we learned

I learned a lot about CSS styling and containers in HTML. I learned how they play a huge role when building actual webpages and also discovered how to put all three-HTML, CSS, and Javascript together.

What's next for Ride Home

As for now, my future plans for Ride Home are to create a better-looking UI and provide more flexibility to companies that sign up. By flexibility I mean to add things like a feature that lets companies add more buses to their roster and the sorts. I'm even considering adding compatibility for general public transportation like trains and public buses; this would be a big step, but still plausible nonetheless.

Share this project:

Updates