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The Client

A US-Based NGO Organizing Biking & Trekking Programs to Engage Local Youth

Our client's community has nearly 8000 members in Watt, USA. They organize recreational activities like biking, hiking & trekking programs for local youth to promote a healthy and well-rounded lifestyle. This is owing to high rates of child obesity, asthma, and other respiratory challenges amongst youth and a lack of safe travel routes in the region. In response to these issues, our client strives to encourage active routine and engage the youth by providing essential resources & equipment through dynamic outdoor programs.

Project Requirements

Build an Exclusive Mobile App for Community Engagement and Youth Participation

The client wanted to build a fitness app like Strava that could encourage community members to participate in biking, trekking, and running activities. The app features included activity recording, social features (sharing photos, messaging, following others), and personal goal setting. Also, the app needed exclusive access control, so it could only be used by community members. For this purpose, our client needed Android and iOS mobile app development services.

Moreover, the client was searching for new ways to inspire athletes and make cycling even more fun. For this, the client wanted gamification features like 'rewards' and 'photo capturing and sharing' within the application.

Project Challenges

Fostering Social Engagement and Ensuring Accurate Route Tracking

We were required to develop this app keeping in mind the 'social component' and ensure that the app encouraged active participation from the community members. However, this highlighted a few challenges in the app development process, including-

01

Route Tracking

One of the key requirements of the app was the ability to track users' routes taken in real time. We needed to develop a feature that would draw a custom polyline on the map, showing the exact path taken by the user while walking, hiking, or biking. This required us to implement sophisticated algorithms to capture and display the route taken accurately.

02

Calculating Accurate Miles

ATo provide accurate distance information to the users, we needed to develop functionality that would calculate the distance covered during each activity session. This involved integrating GPS data and applying mathematical calculations to ensure precise measurements, accounting for variations in terrain and other factors.

03

Handling Map Rotation

Routes taken by members often involve curves and turns, and it was crucial for the app to handle map rotation smoothly, providing a seamless experience for the users. We faced the challenge of developing a mechanism that would automatically adjust the map orientation based on the user's movement, ensuring that the displayed route aligned correctly with the actual path taken.

04

Saving Multiple Images

The client wanted users to be able to capture and share their biking, hiking, or trekking experiences through photos within the app. To achieve this, we needed to develop a feature that allowed users to take multiple pictures during their adventure. Furthermore, we had to associate these images with the corresponding coordinates and distance traveled.

The Solution

Rising to the Challenge: Developing an Exclusive 'App like Strava' to Engage Club Members

Our mobile app development team, after careful evaluation of the pain points, undertook a thorough discussion and decided upon a mobile app that supports both Android and iOS operating systems. It was also integrated into the back-end system built using Cake PHP and MySQL.

The solution provided a seamless and intuitive experience for community members by enriching the app with the following features:

  • User sign-in/sign-up: Enabling users to create their profile and log in to their account via a simple sign-in feature. For first-time users, there is an option to sign up with basic details, such as their full name, email id, and address.
  • To enable users to select their address and add location, our developers integrated Google Autocomplete address search API to autofill complete address.
  • Goal setting & progress tracking: Allowing users to set their monthly goals and track their progress towards achieving them by monitoring their activities and measuring their progress over time.
  • Record activity: Enabling users to start, record, and view their activities- cycling, running, hiking, walking, and motor activities. These activities can be seen in ride history with distance, duration, elevation, and photos.
  • On-the-go memories: Allowing users to capture, preserve, and share multiple pictures with scenic views during their biking or trekking sessions, creating lasting memories.
  • Map view with real-time polyline: Utilizing Google.maps Flutter plugin, we implemented a feature that accurately displayed routes taken by users in real-time through custom polylines. Additionally, DistanceMatrix API was integrated to calculate travel time and distance.
  • Social sharing: Facilitating seamless sharing of their experiences such as distance traveled, pictures, and route information directly from the app to social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or others.
  • Notifications: Inspiring users to meet their goals by sending notifications and reminders, enhancing their engagement with the app.
  • Gamification: Encouraging community members to meet their goals and participate actively. Members can earn points and badges based on completed goals and targets.
  • Suggested for you: Showing other community members' profiles. Users can search for their fellow members and follow them on the app to see their activities.
  • Device support: Ensuring cross-device synchronization with GPS integration. The app is compatible with all top smartphone models and wearable devices.
  • Geo-location tracking: Providing accurate and real-time location tracking as they engage in activities (hiking, cycling, and running). Users can also share their location with fellow members.
  • Use popularity routes: Allowing users to take popular routes taken by other members.
  • In-app chat: Facilitating seamless communication by allowing users to send and receive in-app messages from friends and fellow club members.
  • Weather check: Allowing users to check live weather conditions before starting any activity.
  • Live performance data: Enabling users to keep track of their performance in real-time against the location, distance, and speed.

Strava is a widely known app that connects millions of active cyclists, hikers, runners, and other athletes to create a vibrant community of people who love sports and fitness. The app provides comprehensive GPS tracking for running, cycling & other activities, facilitates challenges & goals to enhance performance, enables seamless photo sharing, and allows users to connect with friends.

Why Flutter cross-platform framework over native app development?

  • Allows app developers to build native applications for iOS, Android, and the web using a reusable codebase.
  • Lowers the overall development cost due to the single codebase.
  • Offers a 'hot reload feature' that helps you instantly apply changes, fix bugs, and add features.
  • Provides a wide range of pre-designed widgets that can be customized to create visually appealing user interfaces.
  • Delivers consistent and smooth experience across platforms.

Working with the team to develop our community app has been a great experience. They truly understood our vision and went above and beyond to deliver an app just like we'd thought. The app has exceeded our expectations in terms of functionality, user engagement, and its positive impact on the community. We are now looking forward to expanding the app to include other activities.

- The Client

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Project Outcomes

The app developed by our team saw great engagement and participation from the community members. Within the first month of its launch, the app witnessed an impressive 82% adoption rate among the club members, surpassing the initial target of 70%.

The incorporation of innovative features such as rewards and goal setting within the app proved to be highly effective in inspiring members. They enthusiastically embraced the goals, resulting in a 30% increase in the average distance covered per biking/trekking session.