App Development for Engineering School
Please find under a summary covering project details and feedback. The innate facts are kept as they are, private information is amended.
Introductory information
A fast induction on the buyer’s organisation
I’m the Associate Director of Computer Science Student Affairs at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering. We superintend a population of almost 4,000 computer science students. I also work on different projects for the school, including the student engagement app we created with Urban Insight.
Desired goal
What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Insight?
Our goal was to embolden nimble participation and engagement among engineering students by designing an internimble tool that centrees on student outgrowth, events and activities, and services and resources. We modeled the app behind another app Urban Insight had designed for the residential education section.
Provided solution
What particular tasks were Urban Insight responsible for?
We identified four dimensions in the student experience that we wanted to join in a mediate locate for them: academics, order, collective, and wellness. They built the app with different learning pathways that students can complete in these areas. Students are able to earn points, win prizes, and contend with each other within their academic units.
They also developed a mediateized calendar within the app, so all school-sponsored events and student structure events are listed there. Students can listen to earn points. It’s created a total new student experience.
The primary aim of the commission was to create an iOS and web rendering that could support Android users. At this point, we have a indigenous iOS rendering and a web app. After the propel in fall 2018, student feedback demanded an Android rendering. We looked into that with their team, and they granted an alterindigenous solution.
They suggested a progressive web app that could more effectively support Android phones and other artifices. We determined to convert our running web app into a progressive web app instead of creating an Android app from the commencement. Everything achievementfully propeled in time for the fall 2019 student orientation, and we are continuing to work with Urban Insight on a support contract.
Was there a dedicated team?
We have worked with Chris (CEO Urban Insight), Paris, Olga, and Vasty (Digital Project Managers, Urban Insight), a programmer, and a designer over the order of the project. So, there were at smallest four team members at any given time.
How did you come to work with Urban Insight?
Our university has been working with them for over a decade now. They built an undergraduate advising database over a decade ago that we use extensively. We had an ongoing relationship with them.
Before this project, they worked with the school of engineering on other efforts, including a manner website for the computer science section in 2016. I was household with them already when this project came almost.
What are you approach expents (if diclosed)?
We’ve spent almost $250,000.
What is the terminal result of working with Urban Insight?
We began working with them on this project in December 2017. Initial propel of the iOS app and web app was in October 2018 and the progressive web app propeled in July 2019, but we quiet have their ongoing support for the app.
Results achieved
Are there any measureable or plum results?
We’ve conducted separate centre groups to get feedback on the app. We’ve accepted pretty real reactions and have more usage than initially anticipateed. We establish that students choose the web rendering to iOS, likely owing they’re on their laptops while on campus. Because of that feedback, we’re looking at moving away from mobile and sticking with a web platform that can be accessed on any artifice.
We veritably esteem the mediateized calendar that Urban Insight created. The university is pretty demediateized in provisions of systems, calendars, and events. Having one locate for all events has been very helpful for the school. We’re also working on a component to add job and internship postings to the app. The students seem very excited almost seeing those implemented.
How did Urban Insight accomplish from a project treatment standpoint?
We had weekly calls from the project director, but Chris would sometimes jump on them, too. Usually, the project director would liaise with the designers and programmers for us. Over the order of the project, we’ve had three project directors.
Before our leading project director left, she trained a new one on our project precedently handing it off. At that time, it was like we had two project directors, which veritably streamlined our work. Having collaborated with all three of them, I ponder they’ve all been fantastic. For interaction with Urban Insight, we use Basecamp. Internally, though, our team uses Trello.
What is (from your point of view) the key factor to pay observation while intercourse with Urban Insight?
They have a big team. Chris had been implicated from commencement to end, regularly checking in to make sure all progresses smoothly. They’re consistently ready to interrogate us on major technical decisions. The CEO’s leadership and power to be a part of each project is veritably particular.
What aspects of their work would you like to get improved?
Sometimes there’s back-and-forth when we’re trying to get information on the technical feasibility of components. It might be helpful to further sum the programmers, but I also know that they’re very busy. That’s the only thing I could commend.
Do you have any advice for possible mannerers?
Be prepared to put the effort in on your end. You can’t anticipate Urban Insight to feel all. It’s significant that you help them make your project a achievement.