Commonality
Sprint One (Concluding March 7th)
This sprint had us laying the foundation for the app framework. We selected the tools that would drive our development as well as brainstorming features and potential UI designs.
Accomplishments in Sprint One
We were very excited with the large amount of progress we made in sprint one, completing the basic framework and having a rudimentary demo ready.
Created MongoDB Database
Solidified the underl;ying architecture through an API as well as testing basic functionality.
Designed UIs for the App's Various Screens
Through discussions and some sketching, we agreed on basic designs as to how the screens would be layed out.
Created GitHub for Code Collaboration
Creating a GitHub repository allows our team to effectively collaborate on the project with inherintly increasing complexity as we continue.
Implemented Basic UIs
Putting what we learned of React-Native to use, we implemented the aforementioned UIs in JavaScript.
Setup Expo and React-Native for the Team
After selecting these two platforms, we had to familiarize ourselves with the basics and complete installation and setup.
Tied Screens Together for a Working Demo
With the screens being implemented in a basic form, we tied them together with simple navigation features.
Challenges in Sprint One
1 / Adapting to New Packages and Languages
JavaScript, React-Native and Expo were new to many on our team, so we had to explore various resources in order to gain a foundational understanding of them before starting work. Even while coding, we still had to study sources when faced with technical issues that were new to us.
2 / Effectively Combining Work Constructively
While splitting up the design of sepearte screens amongst ourselves helped us greatly in regard to efficiency, we were challenged when having to combine them in a way that still led to a cohesive product. The elements and styles used needed to be homogenized.
3 / Adjusting Content for Hardware Considerations
We were surprised to see the variety of functional and formatting issues that resulted from varying hardware platforms, so we had to make several updates and improvements in order to make sure all users have a smooth experience.
4 / Shfiting Packages Utilized
At first, we thought about utilizing Spring Boot and Svelte, but upon honing our focus down to a mobile app, we decided it was better to change course and use Express.js (API) and React-Native instead. This shift required a bit of work to complete the move.