Have you ever passed through the second floor of Ball Communications and played a Cardinal version of Flappy Bird on an interactive touchscreen? The Development Team at the Digital Corps is largely to thank for that! The team programs applications, websites, and other projects for entities across campus. Presently, the team is working on an exciting project that Cardinals will be able to access from anywhere on campus: an app for Charlie’s Charter. 

Charlie’s Charter provides free transportation for students on campus and is notable for its hours of operation, which cover times when university buses are no longer running. To request a ride, students currently have to make a phone call; there is no application available to make the request. However, the Development Team, in collaboration with the Design Team, is working to address that.

With this new application, students will be able to request a ride, specifying pickup and drop-off locations and the number of people in their group. Additionally, students will be able to leave feedback about their riding experience, similar to Uber. Drivers will also benefit from this new app, as it will enable them to accept and view ride information to ensure safety and efficiency.

The Development Team had to approach this project differently from other projects, particularly because the deadlines and specifications of the application necessitated careful planning.

Drew Heiss, a Staff Developer, explained, “Usually projects tend to evolve as we build them, but for this one, I intentionally planned it on paper and through digital diagrams ahead of time.” He also mentioned that the complexity of the project prompted the team to work with new topics and systems, which positively impacted team dynamics.

Anya Wappenstein, a Development Team member, described the project’s impact, “This is a large project that includes all aspects of app development, backend and frontend, so learning how to make a system that works together fluidly has really helped spur growth in our team.” 

The Charlie’s Charter app should be available for download starting in the fall semester. In the meantime, the Development Team is working diligently on making it functional and efficient, expanding their programming knowledge and bolstering team unity at the same time.