Link to project proposal in Google Docs

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UhGi4DNXIeu-x7_8BEibFNAUVKYNGEge0J3dS3Ul8xg/edit?usp=sharing

Ratings

I had a good chat with Lorraine, my supervisor today. She reassured me that I am on the right track with my project. I'm going to keep going with my idea and concentrating on a key difference between my site and Trover : that I have ratings to go with my stories. I will put my energy into creating a great modern sleek interface with a supporting database. I'm just going to keep doing my best. I have a love for travel and social media, I got 13 responses to my survey and the data gathered confirms to me that there is still space there for social media for backpackers.

Competitors

Lonely Planet Thorn Tree
Off Exploring.com
Trover.com

Trover

I just came across www.trover.com I am so sad .... it is exactly what I wanted to do....very similar functionality. I really thought I had something original! I might go ahead with my travel app and think about how I can make mine different over the weekend. The only difference with mine was that it was for 'off the beaten track' travel...whereas Trover seems to be everywhere.

Survey Monkey

I created this survey on Survey Monkey and will send it to 14 friends to see if my travel social media network will be as popular as I think it will. The survey will give me an idea of whether or not there is a gap for it in the market.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/883C6NL

Research report

It's time to start my research report. Not sure where to start! But I have left myself a week to do it. I am just hoping that I do not come across any website that is the same or similar to my idea...at the moment I feel that it is completely original as I haven't found anything like it thus far!

Submitted proposal

I submitted the proposal last night. I then came into college for 1pm and realised that I forgot to write 'CD' under deliverables in the report. I updated this and re-submitted my report. It was 5 minutes late by the time it was submitted, hopefully this is ok and won't affect my grade for being 5 minutes late!

Proposal 2

I have finished and uploaded my proposal, I am happy with it thus far. I feel that I have successfully expressed where I am at with this project at the moment. My Gantt chart and basic mock-up design are attached to document also.

Proposal

I have been working on my project proposal more in-depthly today. I feel that the proposal is helping me to get my ideas straight and helping me in generating new ideas also.

Gantt Chart

Travel app

I met with Lorraine on Thursday to discuss my app. I was very happy when she said that it sounded like a good app as I had put a lot of thought into it over Christmas. I have started creating the Gantt chart today also. Some ideas that I have so far on the app are:

Beyond borders: promote engagement between people of diverse background in ways that recognise difference, create connections and cultivate respect.

My aim is to connect people through travel. There is no better way to promote cultural understanding than travel. Seeing other people's cultures first hand and connecting people from diverse backgrounds with a common interest on social media. This app aims to engage people in positive ways by celebrating cultural differences. I want peopple to be able to share their own story to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even LinkedIn. I want this app to give hope for a better world of cultural understanding, an interest in travel and understanding other people's lives. This app will host positivity only, there will be no negative options. Also, the people who will be drawn to this will be people who already have an interest in travel and hopefully they will tell other's about this so that it reaches a diverse audience.

This app will essentially be...in a line... 'social media for the seasoned backpacker'.

I have checked many domain names for this app and some of my favourite ones that are currently available are 'seasonedbackpacker.com' and 'Itooktheroadlesstravelled.com'. I will check with Lorraine if we can use any name we like or if we are limited to free domain names. This is just a prototype for an app so maybe this rule does not apply.

I will have a bit of a spiel to promote the app:

"Calling all travel buddies far and wide, I have created this app for the seasoned traveller....Where is the most remote place that you have ever been? Where is the hidden gem that you can't wait to tell a friend about or hear about yourself? Share your story or verify other people's stories by giving it a green tick. Feel free to like any stoies you see by giving them a star. This app aims to celebrate off the beaten track travel. Unlock a whole new world."

It's a big world out there and every nation can benefit from income generated through tourism. I want people to share hidden gems. The places you don't find in your average travel guide. Wi-fi is everywhere in developing countries. I aim to diminish the use of travel handbooks, find travel locations for free online.