Technologies Used
Problem Statement & Business Logic
Show Your Spot is a web application made using Django. It's main aim is to provide a space where people can go to share their favourite places around the world. As well as sharing photos, the site will also provide an opportunity to connect with other members and foster friendships.
The key objectives of the project include:
Focusing on user centered design and providing an experience that encourages sharing and interaction through an intuitive easy to use interface.
Offering a dedicated space for anyone looking to contribute photos of their favourite spot including local parks, open spaces and hangouts, with an opportunity to share what there is to do and why they love it.
An opportunity for people to engage and interact with each other through likes and comments, fostering connection and opening dialogue. Profiles are provided for each member.
Building a database-backed model-view-template (MVT) web application that lets users store and manipulate data records including the ability to create, read, edit and delete.
Giving users the ability to initiate and control their actions while providing immediate and complete feedback on data processes.
A place where administrators of the project have a panel that allows them to monitor members and the information they share as well as the comments they make, to ensure the community is kept safe and the environment is not abused.
The end result has been a user-friendly photo sharing network that has been encouraged and informed through user engagement.
Target Audience
Nature lovers who enjoy being outside and who appreciate the health benefits of spending time in nature.
Photographers and travellers who love to share some of their favourite spots around the world.
Adults looking to share the places they love to visit.
Adults looking for places to visit with friends/family or alone.
Technical Stack
Django - Framework
Python
HTML5 and CSS
Tailwind CSS
MySQL database
GitHub
GitHub projects - managing and monitoring progress
JavaScript & jQuery
Original model used Bootstrap 5 - predefined responsive styles and NavBar
Key Features
As a member of the platform users will enjoy:
The opportunity for users to share their experiences and activities through photographs.
An opportunity to interact with other members through comments.
A user-friendly dashboard that provides access to all parts of the platform easily.
A user-friendly system/user journey for adding, commenting on and liking photos.
A user-friendly design that works across all devices.
Ability to Like images and follow users.
Simplicity in registering, using and interacting were the main priorities to ensure user enjoyment.
Admin
Manage Accounts: As an administrator, I want to be able to manage user accounts, including creating, editing, and deactivating them if necessary so that my records are kept up to date.
Register to add photos: As Admin, I want users to register before being able to look at or add a new photo.
Password Change: As admin I want to set up a system so users can change their password when they are logged in and to be able to contact Admin to change it if they are not logged in.
Create, Read, Update and Delete As admin I want to be able to create, read, update and delete photos, comments and profiles so that the admin area is kept up to date.
User
Registration and Log-In As a user, I want to be able to register an account, so I can participate in Our Spot and immediately log-in.
log-In/Log Out As a user, I want to log in and out of my account so that I can access the platform securely.
Create, Edit, Cancel and Delete Photos: As a user I want to be able to create, edit, and delete my photos and any other information added so that I can stay in control of the information I share.
View User Photos: As a user, I want to be able to view the photos of other users so I can decided whether I want to like and/or leave a comment.
View Photo Information As a user, I want to view detailed information about a spot when I click on it so that I can see all the information provided.
Create, Edit, cancel and delete profile: As a user I want to be able to create, edit, and delete my profile so that I have an accurate record of all my personal information and activity.
View User Profile: As a user, I want to be able to view my profile and my latest activity/uploads so that I can keep my information up to date.
View Other Profiles: As a user I want to be able to view the profiles of other users so that I can look through their activity.
Search Facilities: As a user I want to be able to search for different photos available based on their location so that I can find a location or specific image.
Development Process
My aim throughout this project was to focus my working time using agile terminologies:
Create backlog
Divide work into sprints
Create subset sprints
Review work - completed yesterday, to do today, any challenges
Testing - developer tool, (print) command, keep an eye on terminal/console area.
Obtain feedback.
Maintain product backlog and prioritise items/adapt to change
Future implementations/scalability and performance optimisation.
The GitHub project area was used to manage this process.
Future Improvements
The second phase provides an opportunity for me to respond to member feedback. It also allows for ongoing refinements and improvements that will evolve based on user input and needs. This highlights the adatability and scalability of the project.
As this is not the final project, the platform includes a couple of placeholders that were adding to highlight some of these additional features. These are:
Report a photo or profile - The button under photos and profiles is shown for example purposes only but will become a working facility in the next phase.
Email password - If a member is unable to log-in because they have forgotten their password the ability to complete the "forgotten password" form is not available and members are presented with a message to contact Admin.
Additional features to be included are:
Email authentication - the ability to sign up using email to verify your account and receive notifications via email.
The ability to search for images based on tags and a stronger search facility overall.
Album creation so photos can be saved into specific albums, e.g. parks, holiday etc.
Personalised recommendations - members receive recommendations for new spots based on previous uploads.
A feed that shows member activity and trending images.
Infinite scroll added to the dashboard, locations and members pages.
The ability to follow members and get updated when they post.
Conclusion
The main reason I included a Stage Two into this project was to give me an opportunity to build upon my knowledge and skillset. I don't have all the knowledge and/or skills I need to complete this platform but I am keen to learn how to implement them as I learn more about Django.
While I was tempted to continually add things or try to fix things that weren't quite right, I had to conintually bring myself back to the main focus of Project 4, the dataset and the ability for members to use and query the dataset.
The original GITHUB for this project can be found here
