SunnySide
A weather app with personalized recommendations and detailed forecasts.
OVERVIEW
Weather has a significant impact on our daily activities, influencing decisions about outdoor plans, attire, and even laundry schedules. In our research, we discovered that users rely heavily on weather forecasts to make informed decisions about their day. To address these needs, we developed Sunny Side, a weather app built using SwiftUI and WeatherKit, designed to provide accurate weather information and personalized recommendations.
Background: Identifying the Problem and Finding a Solution
Understanding User Needs
- Interviews with users revealed that weather forecasts are crucial for daily decisions, especially for outdoor activities and laundry. Users check weather forecasts to decide on departure and return times, necessary equipment (like umbrellas or sunscreen), and suitable clothing based on expected weather conditions.
Delivering a Comprehensive Solution
- Search Specific Location: Users can search for specific locations to get detailed weather forecasts and recommendations for their destination. This helps in planning trips with accurate weather information.
- Get Recommendation Detail: Based on the weather forecast at the destination, Sunny Side provides tailored recommendations. This includes advice on sunscreen usage, whether to carry an umbrella, and appropriate outfits, ensuring users are well-prepared for the weather conditions.
- Pin Your Favorite Destination: Users can favorite their destination places for easy access. Pinned destinations are displayed on the main page, allowing users to quickly view weather forecasts for their routine daily destinations without needing to search.
Development Challenges: Navigating the Path to Success
Integrating SwiftUI and WeatherKit
- We chose SwiftUI for its declarative syntax and UI-building capabilities, and WeatherKit for accurate weather data. Integrating these tools involved setting up WeatherKit, fetching weather data, and using SwiftUI’s declarative syntax to build a responsive UI.
Best Practices Using Git Flow
- Implementing best practices in Git flow, including branching and pull requests, ensured smooth collaboration and code integration. Using a well-defined branching strategy helped manage features, bug fixes, and releases efficiently.
Implementing MVVM and SOLID Principles
- Structuring the folder hierarchy to separate models, views, and view models.
- Applying dependency injection to manage dependencies effectively.
- Ensuring single responsibility and open/closed principles to enhance code readability and scalability.
Creating Custom Recommendations
- Generating personalized recommendations based on weather data required critical thinking to define relevant advice under various weather conditions. We developed a robust system to analyze weather data and produce practical suggestions, such as sunscreen usage, umbrella necessity, and optimal laundry drying times.
Delivering, Curating, and Filtering Data
- Analyzing user needs and preferences.
- Selecting key weather data points for display.
- Ensuring the UI remained clean and uncluttered while delivering comprehensive weather information and recommendations.
Features Overview: Enhancing User Experience
Search Specific Location
Get Recommendation Detail
Pin Your Favorite Destination
Conclusion
Sunny Side is designed to make weather-related decisions easier and more informed for users. By integrating SwiftUI and WeatherKit, we created a user-friendly app that provides accurate weather forecasts and practical recommendations. From suggesting the best times to depart or return to advising on necessary equipment, Sunny Side ensures users are well-prepared for any weather conditions.