I chose to create this application because first and foremost, I am a sports enthusiast and believe it's the best way to maintain a good state of mind.Sport is not just a passion for me, it's also a means of promoting mental and physical well-being. This is one of the reasons why I wanted Sharesport to be accessible to everyone.

Additionally, it was becoming increasingly difficult to find people to practice group sports with. For example, organizing football matches was becoming complicated, as was finding a running partner. Furthermore, for some people, engaging in sports alone can be challenging to maintain. That's why Sharesport addresses all these issues. This app allows anyone to create sports sessions that everyone can join.

The motto of ShareSport is: 'Meet people and play sports.' This application is designed to solve very concrete problems in the field of sports by facilitating encounters and breaking down economic and social barriers.

Before the creation of the application, several documents were necessary to gain a clear overview of the project. The starting point was the development of a comprehensive business plan. This crucial document highlighted all the essential aspects for the project's success, such as market analysis, studying the economic model, and many other factors.

In terms of the technologies used, I chose Flutter for the frontend and Firebase Firestore for the backend. I selected these technologies for several reasons. Firstly, I wanted to use a technology that would allow me to develop an application for both major platforms (Android and iOS) using a single programming language. I was therefore choosing between React Native and Flutter. I eventually chose Flutter because it integrates perfectly with an entire ecosystem of services, particularly Firebase.

One of the key advantages of Flutter is its ability to enable efficient cross-platform development. This not only reduces development time but also associated costs.

For the backend, I chose Firebase Firestore due to its native compatibility with Flutter and also because it offers a NoSQL data storage solution. The concept of NoSQL had always intrigued me, and this was the perfect opportunity for me to learn it. Moreover, Firestore simplifies many aspects such as storage, authentication, and more, thanks to the functionalities it offers.

Firebase's ecosystem provides a range of services that go beyond simple data storage. It also includes features for analytics, monetization, and even artificial intelligence, making it an ideal choice for rapid and robust development.

For the development methodology, I adopted a Scrum approach due to an imminent deadline for the launch. Before starting each sprint, I assigned a number of points to each story to evaluate its complexity and the time it would take me to complete.

This approach allowed me to better plan my days and optimize the management of my sprint. Each sprint lasted one week, during which I endeavored to complete all the planned stories.

Before starting the development, a use case diagram was established to have an overview of the functionalities to be implemented. Following this, sequence diagrams were created for each of these functionalities.

To manage all this organization, I used the tool Notion, which facilitated the management of my sprints. It allowed me to know what had been accomplished, what was in progress, and what remained to be done.

Notion offers features that allow the creation of Kanban boards, which is ideal for tracking the progress of sprints using an Agile methodology like Scrum. Notion also served as a notebook for all the ideas that came to my mind. This tool greatly helped me simplify all the organization necessary for the creation of this application.

Before I start creating mockups, I seek inspiration from the best in design. That's why I consult sites like Dribbble and Mobbin, which provide me with an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Websites like Dribbble and Mobbin enable me to perform competitive analysis and understand current trends in user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design.

Once I have all the necessary sources of inspiration, I move on to creating the mockups. For this, I use two tools.

Paper: I start by sketching on paper, as I find it stimulates the imagination more and encourages creativity. Drawing on paper offers a lot of freedom of movement and allows for easy doodling, erasing, and restarting, which is ideal for the initial brainstorming phase. Once the mockups are well established on paper, I transition to a digital tool: Balsamiq.

Balsamiq: This tool allows me to create simple and intuitive user interfaces. It mainly involves transposing the concepts drawn on paper into Balsamiq. After completing the mockups in this tool, I submit them to my friends for usability testing. The feedback obtained is invaluable and allows me to make the necessary adjustments before moving on to the user experience (UX) design phase.

After validating my mockups on Balsamiq, I continued with the design process on Figma, drawing inspiration from the visual elements I had gathered earlier. This work is based on the knowledge I've accumulated over the years through YouTube videos, courses on Udemy, and numerous blogs.

I chose black as the primary color and white as the secondary color, as they align with the visual identity established by my logo. By using the same colors as the logo, I ensure that the application maintains a consistent brand identity, which is crucial for brand recognition and loyalty. Sharesport is a platform that offers a wide variety of sports to its users.

The challenge in terms of design was to find a color that could unify these different sports without favoring one over another. Black is a neutral color that isn't associated with any particular sport, allowing the platform to not appear biased towards a specific sports discipline.

Before diving into the implementation of features, I first transcribed the visual design of the application using Flutter. Essentially, it was a faithful copy-paste of the mockups developed on Figma.

After accurately reproducing the visual design, I moved on to programming the features, relying on the sequence diagrams I had previously established. Here are some interesting features that I had to create for this project:

As with any solid project, authentication is a crucial step. This function allows users to identify themselves within the application. With this authentication, we can track who created a sports session and who participated in it.

To implement this functionality, I used Firestore Authenticator, which offers users several authentication options: a classic login with email and password, as well as logins via Google and Apple (the latter being reserved for iOS users).

One of the crucial steps in creating a session on Sharesport is entering an address. To avoid any errors or ambiguity, I set up an address suggestion feature. When a user starts typing an address in the dedicated field, a list of address suggestions appears, based on the characters entered.

Once the user spots the desired address among the suggestions, they can simply select it. This allows Sharesport to have a valid address, essential for obtaining the geographical point of the session and thus calculating the distance from each participating user.

This address suggestion functionality was realized using Google's Place Autocomplete API. This feature greatly improves the user experience by simplifying address entry, accelerating the process of creating sports sessions.

To keep users informed of new sessions created or updates to sessions they are enrolled in, incorporating a notification system was essential. Each user receives a Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) Token upon registering on the platform, which is saved in Firebase and updated with each login. This FCM Token enables the sending of push notifications to users.

Notification management is done via a cloud function that triggers based on specific triggers—either the creation of a new session or the addition of a new person to an existing session. Consequently, a notification is sent to all relevant users.

For iOS devices, an additional step is needed to integrate Apple's push notifications. This involves specific configurations in Xcode to enable notifications on these devices.

To maintain the integrity of the application and ensure a safe environment for users, I integrated an image verification function. This function is essential to prevent the posting of inappropriate or obscene content in profile pictures or images of sports sessions.

I used Google's Cloud Vision API for this functionality. This API scans the image uploaded by the user for any potentially offensive content. If such an image is identified, a warning message is displayed to the user. Otherwise, the image is stored in the Firestore database.

As you can see, Google makes it easy to create an application by integrating complex functionalities through their APIs. Once I finished my first version, I moved on to the testing phase.

Après avoir achevé la première version de l'application Sharesport, j'ai passé à l'étape cruciale du test. Cette étape est essentielle pour identifier tout bug, lacune ou inefficacité dans l'application avant son lancement public.

Les différents types de tests que j'ai effectué sont les suivants :

Tests Unitaires: Pour vérifier la logique de chaque fonction et méthode.

Tests d'Intégration: Pour s'assurer que différents composants de l'application interagissent correctement entre eux.

Tests de Performance: Pour évaluer la réactivité et la stabilité de l'application sous diverses conditions.

Tests d'Utilisabilité: Pour juger de l'expérience utilisateur et identifier tout obstacle potentiel à une utilisation fluide.

Tests Bêta: Une version bêta de l'application peut être publiée pour obtenir des retours en conditions réelles d'une petite communauté d'utilisateurs.

I utilized specific testing frameworks for Flutter and Firebase to conduct unit and integration tests. Additionally, I engaged real users for usability tests, collecting their feedback through questionnaires and interviews.

Following the test results, I made the necessary adjustments to improve the application. This involved minor modifications, such as debugging and refining the user interface, as well as more substantial revisions that might affect the application's logic or features.

The testing phase was an opportunity to validate and adjust the work done up to that point. It allowed me to fine-tune the application to ensure a high-quality user experience and optimal performance. Utilizing Google's tools and services was a key factor in the success of this project, simplifying the complex task of app development.

After completing all stages of development and testing, it was finally time to deploy the Sharesport application on the official app stores: Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Creating the Account: Opening an account on Google Cloud Console and purchasing a developer license for 30 CHF.

Preparing the File: The `flutter build` command is used to create the `.aab` file required for deployment.

Going Live: The `.aab` file is then uploaded to the Google Play Console, following the instructions for production release.

Creating the Account: I created an account on App Store Connect and acquired the developer license, costing 180 CHF.

Archiving: Before publishing, it's necessary to create an archive of the application via Xcode.

Going Live: This archive is then uploaded to App Store Connect for submission to Apple's review team.

After submitting the applications to their respective platforms, each of them undergoes a validation phase. Test teams from each platform review the application to ensure it complies with their guidelines and quality criteria.

Once the validation is achieved, the application is launched into production and becomes accessible to the public. This step marks the realization of all the hard work and investment in the project.

It's crucial to monitor the application's performance after its launch. User feedback, analytics data, and error reports provide valuable insights for future updates and continuous improvement of the application.

Deployment is the final but critical step in the application development lifecycle. It requires meticulous attention to detail and careful preparation to ensure that the application is ready to be received by the general public.