“Shuffle” is an interactive, aggregate web application that allows users to enter their astrological sign and be presented with a “visual horoscope” based on the interaction of content between three cards. When the user selects their sign by clicking a button along the top, the cards are “shuffled” and dealt onto a linen cloth background. As the user clicks on the cards, they flip over and display images and text based on the selected astrological sign. The idea is that the random and unique results work together to create a visual horoscope that the user can read interpret in many ways, creating meaning from the disparate elements. Shuffle possesses a minimal, clean design for a smooth user experience and a modern color scheme.
Find Shuffle at https://bruggineer.github.io/Shuffle/
As a user who is 18-30 years of age, and who loves astrology, mysticism, divination tools, card readings, aesthetics and poetry, I want to go to a website that allows me to play with all these things in one easy motion. I want to see content generated based on my astrological sign that will give me something to laugh about, some hidden meaning only understood by me, a personal experience that may shed some light or inspire me as I go about my day.
Our team achieved our goal of creating an application that is fun to use and generates a truly unique experience every time the buttons are clicked. We ourselves couldn’t stop playing it! We believe it has a lot of potential.
Even though this is a simple idea, nothing quite like it exists. The internet has tarot card sites, random playing card generators, random meme generators, and random phrase generators. Nothing puts these elements together in the way we have done. “Shuffle” fills a gap in a specialty market. A card reading with a modern twist, it would be appreciated by a vast number of millenials, especially if we were to develop further to include more cards, social media aspects, and services.
- Linus
- Design/Frontend: HTML / CSS
- Sweet
- Organization/Frontend: CSS / Javascript
- Teresa
- Functionality/Backend: CSS / Javascript
- Liz
- Code Cleanup / Backend: Javascript / Github Setup-support
- Trello Boards (Project Management)
- Implement agile development
- Google Docs
- Jitsi Meet rooms (Video)
- Slack
- Pinned Resources
- Bots
- Trello
- GitHub
- Pull Requests
- Spotify
- Video Collaborating
- Breakdown of Task
- APIs not well documented
- API constraints
- GitHub
- Branching
- Pull and committing conflicts
- GIPHY G content rating === false
- Tiny kitchen, 4 cooks
- Collaborating flexibly and supportively to build from each other’s thoughts
- Making time for each other’s scrum, making sure we did so everyday.
- Helping each other out when we had blocks
- Had fun making and using the application together
The Shuffle app we’ve presented today is merely a prototype for what could be an exciting and profitable app. The success of most apps is measured in revenue they generate. Typically, the more engaging the app, the longer the visitor stays on a site and the more pages they visit, the more likely they are to purchase something or answer a call to action that ultimately leads to a sale. User engagement drives revenue and is probably the key factor to the app’s and your bottom line’s success.
So, how do you attract these potential shoppers in the first place? Through marketing that invites your guests. Through satisfied customers sharing your site and products with their friends, through prospective buyers entering need-related words into a search engine and finally, by networking with like-minded business owners and their apps.
And, once they find you, how does your app convert the curious into customers? And even better, how does the app entice returning customers?
With all of this in mind, we recommend the following:
- Continuously Incorporate New Content This includes updates to previously existing Shuffle content and new, additional content that may provide new product lines, added features and functionality, and other changes that catch the eye and offer fresh ways to tantalize consumers. New content and new features may also impact SEO (Search Engine Optimization), by moving your app higher in the results page which increases new visitors. We suggest…
- Provide a social media component so guests can share your app with their friends. Think of it as digital word-of-mouth.
- Add new aspects on new pages, such as liveastrologer access, a blog, customer reviews, voting for favorites in content, a mailing list, a forum, a chat feature, and a photo gallery.
- Update each existing card as the API evolves or improves or as trends and viral memes dictate.
- Innovate the app by regularly adding new subject-related content via additional playing cards. Ideas include- forum threads, special interest boards, social media content, nearby events, activities, meetups, or restaurants, works of art, music videos, instructional videos, word definitions or acronyms, weather related data.
- Take Advantage of Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing provides your app with a presence and backlink on other apps while you build goodwill by promoting compatible apps on yours. If your guest clicks through to an affiliate site and buys something, you receive a small cut of the sales and vice versa. The revenue may not be much, but affiliated marketing provides greater visibility for your products while raising Shuffle’s backlink number, which will improve your search engine ranking. We suggest…
- Establishing reciprocal Affiliate Marketing with vetted, relevant apps Provide ample, prominent and incorporated page space for AM
- Monitor and update the affiliates based on user click throughs and other statistics
- Prompt removal of out of date or undesirable affiliates
- Improve and Update the User Interface The User Interface is your store’s greeter, product demonstrator, salesperson, and cashier all in one. It is your storefront, showroom, catalog, dressing room, business card, and wish book. We suggest…
- Regular and timely improvements and innovations to Shuffle’s user interface to ensure it aligns or informs your other marketing channels in design, tone, and content
- Capitalize on the “WOW factor” of forward leaning design and functionality
- Implementation of improved responsive design as device innovations occur
- Embracement and continued compliance of the highest reasonably possible accessibility standards rating
- Monetize In addition to increasing revenue by improving visibility, content, and functionality, we suggest…
- Offer paid subscriptions for exclusive content and special offers
- Offer a product line - personalized readings, astrology related items and classes
- Capitalize on site collected data
- Adding ads to the app