Introduction
There are some projects I would like to build in my spare time. The thing is that I am focusing now on other things, like spending time with my daughter, learning new technologies required for my work, and writing here :) It consumes all the time I have, but in an imaginary world, when I have some more time and energy to develop a side project, I'll probably focus on one of those three projects described below.
Today, as a part of #4articles4weeks challenge, I'd like to share with you some project ideas. To be honest, I'd like to build them by myself, but due to other priorities I am pretty sure, I'll never do it. I am also focusing now on other things, like spending time with my daughter, learning new technologies required for my work, and writing here :) What's more, I believe that the idea itself is not valuable. Each of the projects shared below, for sure, would be helpful for some people.
Each of the projects requires a lot of work, but It would be lovely to see them implemented, and working in real life!
Streaming service subscription manager (for services like Netflix, Disney+, etc.)
The first project aims to aggregate all the subscription-based streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, etc. into a single one. this project will maintain only a single active subscription at the moment. At the same time, a user could choose how often he wants to do the shift to the next subscription.
After each shift, we would receive the list of all the new films, which were added to our current service, during the time since our last cancellation. This list could be sorted by default using the rank from a service like IMDB, to make it easier for the user to find something interesting. The list order could also be determined by users' previous picks. All of these within films were added recently to not distract the users with films, he doesn't like, or he already watched.
Integrated service for pharmacies and GPs
This idea is undoubtedly the most time-consuming, not only for software engineers. I am afraid that it may also depend on how healthcare is currently organized in your country.
In Scotland, where I live at the moment, this project will be very helpful for all the patients. Currently, when we have an appointment with GP, we can get a prescription, but this prescription is not given to the patient directly. Instead of this, the doctor sends a prescription to the pharmacy of choice, where after some time we can collect our medicines.
Additionally, when our case needs a specialist consultancy, we are getting our referral by post after a few days.
Even if this communication algorithm looks ok at first look it poses many issues. From time to time, we have some mistakes in a prescription, which as patients we can't catch before we collect medicines from a pharmacy.
Medicine collection from the pharmacy is also not as easy as it should be. Sometimes a prescription is not sent, for whatever reason. But If everything is fine, we still don't know when we can collect our medicines.
In terms of this project, I'd like to build a SaaS, which will allow patients to have a look at the details of their treatment. In particular, those two options I consider the most helpful:
the ability to schedule an appointment with a specialist - now the date given in a letter, doesn't suit us very often. To change that date we need to make a call, and wait for a couple of minutes.
the ability to track the way and status of the prescription from GP practice to Pharmacy - similarly to what we have currently for most courier apps. I'd like to know that my prescription was written, sent to the pharmacy, received by the pharmacy, is in progress, and at the end - when my prescription is ready for collection.
Additionally, GPs' websites are mostly outdated with a design from 20 years ago. This service could potentially provide a standardized website, with a modern design.
Food ordering service for large groups
The last idea and the project I'd like to build is a service - or mobile app, which will be helpful to improve the process of food ordering. In my case, it's almost always at work. When, as a large group of people, we want to order some food we need to answer quite a lot of questions. In which place do we want to make an order? Who is making the order? What are the peoples' food choices? Who pays? How do we want to settle accounts?
I would like the described project to answer these questions. So, starting from the beginning, we'd have the ability to define a poll for each day, where everyone could vote for the restaurant. After this step, each of us will be allowed to make a food choice. After the order on the "settlement account", assigned to each person, the new information about how much, for what, and for whom he needs to return some money, to make everything clear.
Summary
I believe that those projects are worth building, and would be helpful for a lot of people. At least for me, they will solve some of the problems I encounter from time to time.
Do you know any apps which are implementing something similar to the ideas I described above? I'd love to know about them - please share it in the comment section. Cheers!