SPOOL
CONNECTING PEOPLE THROUGH SHARED INTERESTS
ANDROID · IOS · JAVA · MOBILE APP DESIGN · DEVELOPMENT · SOCIAL CONNECTION
Project
SPool was created around a simple idea: making it easier for people to meet others and find something to do.
The application connects users with people nearby who share similar interests. Users can discover activities, create their own events, and join events created by others.
I worked across both the application interface and underlying functionality, contributing to navigation, custom lists and grids, database functionality, UI components, and the overall visual theme.
The project was initially developed for Android and was later ported to iOS, allowing the experience to extend across both major mobile platforms.
Challenge
The project needed to bring several pieces of functionality together into one straightforward mobile experience. The challenge was to: - Make discovering nearby people and events simple - Organise information through intuitive navigation - Present users with lists and grids of content - Build and maintain the application's database functionality - Create a consistent visual theme - Maintain a cohesive experience across Android and iOS - Port the Android experience to iOS without losing the core functionality
approach
The application was approached as a combination of social discovery and event-based interaction. The interface was structured around clear navigation and reusable content components so users could move between different parts of the application without unnecessary friction. Custom list and grid views were developed to organise the application's content, while database functionality was worked on alongside the UI rather than treating them as separate pieces. Once the Android experience was established, the project was ported to iOS using Swift and Xcode, adapting the implementation for the second platform while maintaining the overall product experience.
Experience
DISCOVERY
Designed around finding people and activities based on shared interests.
NAVIGATION
Built the navigation menu to make moving through the application straightforward.
CUSTOM LISTS & GRIDS
Developed custom list and grid views to organise and present application content.
UI COMPONENTS
UI COMPONENTS
VISUAL THEME
Added and implemented a consistent theme across the application.
CROSS-PLATFORM
Ported the Android application to iOS, extending the experience to another platform.
Build
ANDROID
IOS
FIREBASE
GITHUB
Result
SPool brought people, interests, and local activities together in a single mobile experience. The project evolved from an Android application into a cross-platform experience, with the application subsequently ported to iOS. The final product allowed users to discover people with similar interests, create their own events, and participate in events created by others. More than simply building individual screens, the project gave me experience working across navigation, UI components, databases, theming, and cross-platform development as one connected product.
