Bicycle Reports

PROBLEM

Over 188,500 bicycles are reported as stolen each year in the United States alone. This does not even account for the amount of bicycles unreported. The F.B.I. estimates that these stolen bicycles and parts are worth $350 million each year. Additionally, there are around 50,000 reported bicycle accidents each year, where over 10% of accidents are fatal.

PREVIEW

Map Markers

Slightly transparent red circles emphasize areas more susceptible to issues as the markers become darker when stacked.

One incident
Three slightly transparent red circles overlapping

Three incidents within close proximity

Cards

Cards on mobile, the map, and large screens all contain the reported title, description, timeframe, and a link to the Bike Index registry to contact the original poster.

Use Current Location

Advanced Search

Logo Creation

FEATURES

Search for any location (name, coordinates, city, address, zip code, etc)
View a map of incidents at any given location with card displays containing further information
View a list of incidents with the reported title, description, image if available, and occurrence
Search for specific terms within incident titles or descriptions
Adjust the incident type to search for (theft, crash, hazard, unconfirmed, infrastructure issue, or chop shop)

USERS

Bicycle Riders
(primary audience)

Bicycle riders may need to lock their bike up nearby as they shop or eat. By utilizing this web app, they may determine if the surrounding neighborhood is safe to do so or susceptible to bike troubles.

Bikespotters
(secondary audience)

"Bikespotters," loosely defined, are individuals that may purchase a bike or those who spot bikes that look suspicious and cross reference serial numbers on BikeIndex, a non-profit bike registry. They are responsible for reuniting people with their missing bicycles.

REFLECT

This project began with the mission of "adding value" to an API as I was learning Python. I also worked with Flask and Jinja, all of which were new. This was an enlightening experience where I stepped into an area of mystery and worked through challenges that arose. I'm happy to say that despite all my frustration, I became a stronger problem solver and learned to utilize my resources more effectively.

I began designing a pleasing setup to view, but had to continually iterate through multiple revisions. As I was implementing my design, I wanted to focus more on the user experience and usability rather than just the visual elements and appearance. As a result, I learned to not sacrifice the usability for aesthetics and this is a thought I will carry into my future designs. Iplan to evaluate the functionality and interactivity with the user first before polishing up visual elements.

In summary, the biggest takeaway was to not sacrifice functionality for aesthetics. While a visually appealing interface may help users become more lenient or tolerant of usability issues, I strive to avoid those altogether.

python web app

autumn 2020

design, programming