on 26 July, 2015
An interview with the developers of VESIT app
StupidSid:- What inspired you to pursue the idea of making an app for your college?
Deepika:- With the digital wave in India, it is time we go Digital - in every way possible. The education sector has progressed over due course of time. Hence, has arose a need of connecting everyone, notifying at one go and instant connectivity. These factors zeroed down on one sole factor: An App for ALL.
StupidSid:- Does it have a nod from your college authorities? How supportive are they for this app?
Hitesh:- Certainly. Our Principal, Dr.(Mrs) J.M.Nair and Vice Principal, Dr.(Mrs.) M.Vijayalakshmi have always supported new endeavors. This one being no different, we always had their valuable suggestions to better the app in every way.
StupidSid:- What hurdles did you face during the development stages and how did you tackle them?
Varun:- The first one being the scale of the user base. We have a user base of 2500+ including students, faculty and administrative staff. Hence we had to structure it in such a way so that it appeals to all. Further the OS platform used by them viz.- IOS, Android and Windows phone, induced us on thinking of making the app available on heterogeneous platforms.
StupidSid:- Let’s talk technical, shall we? What languages/programming tools were used to make this app?
Hitesh:- We have used Android Studio to develop the application. XML and Java have been used for front end designing while PHP scripting is used to communicate with the databases. We are looking forward to release the app on the IOS and Windows Platforms, hence we would be shifting base to Apache Cordova as well.
StupidSid:- Could you brief us about some of the smart tools and features that your app will exhibit.
Varun:- The Events feature is the best feature of the app. It will provide all the latest updates of college level and society event notifications. Also the resources and calendar section which would aide them planning their schedule in advance. The app will reach to every single student. Also we have an interactive user interface with a proper navigation which is a must an app should have.
StupidSid:- Tell us one specific feature in this app that you’re most proud of, and why.
Deepika:- The connectivity with the website and social platforms.So even if the user has no access to the internet, the updates on the website can be viewed offline through the app. Also the placement section's student learning section that gives them the ability to learn on the go!
StupidSid:- What was your inspiration for the designing and user interface of the app?
Hitesh:- Our inspiration for the user interface was the latest trends in Android World. When Google released Android L, there was a lot of hype about the Material Design, that specification is what makes this design truly beautiful.It gave a whole new perspective to the designing of the application.
StupidSid:- How do you think this app will help your institute’s future?
Hitesh:- We believe that using this app, the happenings in and around the institute can be planned meticulously and organized in such a way that every student is able to find any information related to the institute at some mere touches, without getting drowned in the vast information and lost in navigation.
StupidSid:- How will existing VESITians benefit from this app?
Varun:- VESITians would benefit a lot. Everything right from the notices, events, holidays, placements would be on a go. It would reduce ambiguity among students and would result into an efficient flow of information.
StupidSid:- How long did it take for this app to come into being, right from the time you thought of it?
Deepika:- It has taken a couple of months to make our dream project come true!. I believe we have come way too far from what we had thought of. We wish our juniors continue upgrading the app in future.This ensures, the gradual growth of our user base and establishing a connect factor amongst VESITians.
StupidSid:- Any notable mentions you’d like to add?
Varun:- We are grateful to our college authorities for their support, our college faculty and also our very own VESITians,who have given us their constructive suggestions on the features the app should possess.
StupidSid:- Finally, what advice would you give to the readers who wish to delve into the area of app development ?
Deepika:- Learn! Develop! Publish.Dwell in the Android world and you will find your haven there.
Help Make India more Digital….
Team Members: Hitesh Sharma, Deepika Singh T, Varun Bablani
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