http://volumeteer.herokuapp.com/
- Ruby version
- ruby 2.3.3
- Rails version
- rails 5.1.6
- Key Gems
- Devise - User Authentication
- Rolify - User Authorisation
- Carrierwave - Image Upload
- Cloudinary - Image Compression & Storage
- Geocoder - Help with Google Map API
- Ransack - Easy Searching
- Stripe - User Payment
- Rubocop - Code Review
- Rails erd - ERD Generation
-
Configuration
You will need to create .env file found in the root folder as they have been excluded in .gitignore for security.
Instructions for installation:Clone the repo then change into the directory.
Runbundle installin terminal.
Runrails db:migratein terminal.
Find and edit the .env file in the root of the directory, then add your own ENV variables:
CLOUDINARY_KEY =
CLOUDINARY_SECRET =
GMAIL_USERNAME =
GMAIL_PASSWORD =
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY =
STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY =
MAPS_KEY =
POSTGRES_USER =
POSTGRES_PASSWORD =
- Problem Definition
- Problem Solution
- Proposed Solution
- Ethical Considerations
- User Stories
- Flowcharts
- Volunteer Interaction
- Charity Interaction
- Wireframes
- Desktop
- Mobile
- ERD
- Design Decisions
- Agile Workflow Timetable
- Code Review
- User Testing
- Future Features
Charities always need more volunteers, particularly during variable event seasons. (Yearly fundraisers etc.) Not for profit's in Australia source 6.1 million volunteers each year. These volunteers work for a combined 713 million hours each year. This is an average of 100 hours per person per year. (Although it is worth noting the unreliability of self-reported data.) Source: https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/wp-content/uploads/VA-Key-statistics-about-Australian-volunteering-16-April-20151.pdf
To see how the general public felt about volunteering I created a short survey to ask people's experiences and their barriers to volunteering. Whilst a large amount of people (50%+) already volunteer, many feel as though they don't volunteer enough with a whopping 100% of people feeling they do not volunteer enough. A survey I created found the number one reason people were unlikely to volunteer is time constraints with 76% of respondents. Full results can be found: https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-PT3G8YHVL/
A proposed solution is a digital, online platform that will connect charities to volunteers. The platform will allow charities to 'crowd source' volunteers by posting opportunities online. Volunteers will be able to search available opportunities filtering based on skills, time and location.
Volumeteer will aim to create a sense of community and self-fulfillment. This will be done by allowing charities and user to create a personal profile including a picture. Hours given by volunteers will be tracked and top volunteers could be highlighted each month.
First, safety. All volunteers should expect a safe, inclusive experience. Also, those traditionally susceptible to negligence and malice (i.e. elderly and sick) must be able to use the platform without fear. This could be solved via a peer-rating system or, provided full production, working with a background check.
Secondly, workplace legislation. All opportunities must be a legitimate volunteer opportunity, allowing a volunteer a fulfilling experience that is not paid labour in disguise. This could be solved by the expectation that all charities or people offering opportunities will adhere to current legislation and a code of conduct. Moderation (physical or automated) could also enable a better service.
User stories were created using Trello. The original stories comprise of MVP features. Aswell as one column of non-mvp features. https://trello.com/b/guzJHlrp/agile-workflow
Wireframes were created using Figma.com, all of which can be found here: https://www.figma.com/file/fdwSZtMhDU6XQafWcBPT97Qq/Volumeteer_Wireframes
DESKTOP
MOBILE
Pinterest.com.au was originally used to help find inspiration for a general design. A quote from the Lorax was the largest piece of inspiration design wise.
As such the primary colour chosen was blue. A lighter shade of blue is hopefully going to remind users of child-like story books and paintings. Blues and greens are also proven to be calming and work well with those that are short-sighted.
I feel that my original agile workflow was very well estimated. Unfortunately, I had to restart the entire application two days in due to recurring issues with Devise, I decided it was best to rethink my architecture and restart as opposed to sinking more losses fixing issues. As such I finished the entire project one day later than expected. Having this agile workflow however allowed me to understand where I had gone wrong and most importantly I could visualise where I was and that made it easier to plan future flow.
I requested for classmates to review my code using Slack.
I also used Rubocop to help with code styling, to try and test it's true power I avoided using any code editor plug-ins to prettify code.
I set up two batches of user tests, the first by "Regular Users", this comprised of close friends and family, it was aimed to establish how the general public will see the app. Secondly there were "Tech Users", comprised of classmates, this was to see if there were any obvious technical issues with the app. Unfortunately, no one within the Charity or Not-For-Profit industry were personally accessible to help test. General public advised that mobile UI needs improvement on some devices, particularly the jobs page. I implemented their changes to remove the registration button after a user has correctly signed up or in. The technical user group's main issue was navigation in some pages, as such more 'back' links were added to the application.
Planned future features, since the inception of Volumeteer, have been messaging, time details on an event and an admin dashboard. Some features that user testing have recommended include more user stats such as hours volunteered and emails for when volunteer status changes.