GoDoo
Discover new places using reusable keywords!
Introduction
I built this project to help me get comfortable using REST APIs within an IOS app. I started with an idea that we might find ourselves in different places but we may have a type of place that we like to go to. I built the app so you can use keywords which are stored locally on the phone to use later but the list of places is updated depending on the location you are currently in or that you enter and the time you search for places.
App Design
Below is my initial sketch of what I was planning for the app to be. This is a storyboard that goes through how a standard interaction with the app would work.
Location and Keyword Entry
The below two screens show the user the initial screen of the app. Here the user can enter a location or select their current location. The second screen presents the keywords that the user has previously used to find places. The user also has the ability to enter new keywords which will be saved and select a search radius from the selected location to search in.
Search Results
After selecting a location, radius and keyword the user is then able to send an API request to Google Maps to search for a location that uses the keyword that they have used. A list of results is presented showing the distance from the chosen location, additionally there is a map view so you can see these locations on the map.
Place View
After selecting a location in either the list or map view, the user can see the name of the location, whether it is open, a picture from google maps and finally a small map view showing the local surroundings. The circle with the image in can be pressed to switch between the local surroundings and the place image. As well as this the user can select for directions which opens Apple Maps and gets directions to this place, favourite the place for next time and share the location with friends.
First Look at Monetization
This project was my first exploration into how I can monetize an app idea. As this information is available for free on the google maps app it did not seem the correct decision to charge for the app in either one off purchase or subscription. Therefore the only solution would be to offer Ads, I implemented the Google Ads into the app using the below article:
Google Ads Article on MediumReflection
I learnt alot from this project with the key topic being working with Google APIs like Maps and Ads. I didn't continue this project as I felt that if I were to release this is as a product on the app store I would have to offer something Google didn't. I think in some ways this could provide a better experience for some users however if they found that the experience was better on Google Maps it would be hard to sell my app to them to use. I think this app does have potential but it will need a unique selling point and marketing strategy to get it off the ground!