On a campus that boasts more than 1,400 acres, finding your way from one end of campus to another in the shortest amount of time is essential. Computer science student Luke Dederich realized this as he tried to determine the fastest way to walk from his dorm to class. Would cutting through the parking lot save time or should he stick to the sidewalks?
That train of thought sparked an idea for a new app called walkUCF. Users can enter their start location and destination, and the app will map the quickest route, which could take them through buildings or across patches of grass. Dederich has tested some of the routes and says he and other students he knows personally use the app frequently to zip around campus.
“One of the reasons I enjoyed making this application so much is because I knew it was something I would actually use,” Dederich says. “The first time I tested the application, I discovered the path I have been taking from my dorm to the gym for the past two years was far from optimal. Since then, I have been taking the new path and saving some time.”
This isn’t the first app that Dederich has created, but it is the first app that he has developed for fun. The process not only enhanced his technical knowledge of app development but also provided some professional and personal insights as well. His LinkedIn post on walkUCF garnered much attention from students and faculty alike, which taught him about the power of networking.
“On a more personal level, managing this project independently has also honed my ability to troubleshoot and find solutions to technical challenges on my own,” Dederich says. “Taking a web server from initial deployment to production proved especially instructive for my troubleshooting skills.”
Troubleshooting is a skill that Dederich has honed through his experience on the UCF Programming Team, which has secured many wins at both national and international competitions. Without any preparation, he landed a spot on the Division II team and traveled to Florida State University this past fall for the International Collegiate Programming Contest North America Southeast Regional competition.
“As Team UCF Override, we performed very well,” Dederich says. “It was a super fun experience, especially for someone like me who was new to competitive programming.”
Dederich plans to take his passion for programming to Lockheed Martin, where he will work as a software engineer for the missiles and fire control division. He secured the job through the Lockheed Martin College Work Experience Program, a unique, year-long opportunity that allows undergraduate and graduate students to work on projects for the aerospace and defense company.
Dederich aims to become a professional software engineer after graduation, but for now, he can add amateur app developer to his resume. His advice to other students who want to create their own web applications is to find a solution to a common problem and to consider the end user along the way.
“Identify a problem and come up with an idea to solve it,” Dederich says. “The idea is by far the most challenging part. As long as the idea has a reasonable scope, all the other pieces fall into place.”
Dederich’s Tips for App Development
- Ask your audience what they think about the problem. Is it one worth solving? If the proposed application existed, would they use it?
- Don’t be afraid to learn as you go. If you have the core skills needed for the project at the beginning, it is easy to learn secondary skills along the way.
- Strive for high quality in every aspect. No project will ever be perfect, but many projects are held back because small details are inadequately done. If you add a feature, ensure it is bug-free for edge conditions. If you make a website, ensure it looks presentable at all screen sizes. Putting effort into these less monumental aspects of an application vastly improves the final product’s user experience.
