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Web-Powered Volunteer Communities
A system helping us all connect for TheCommon good.
Challenge
TheCommon was started as an answer to the problem of volunteer management, a way of connecting one set of people – businesses, churches, colleges, service agencies – with the people who needed them. Its ultimate success depended on its simplicity and its ability to eliminate wasted time and duplicated effort. Getting the software right called for a collaborative effort.
Project Overview
Two entrepreneurs envisioned an online volunteer community capable of servicing scores of users & unlimited types of needs.
Industry
Do-gooders
Project Type
Web Application
Project Size
- 17 months
- 2 Atoms
- Transitioned to 1 Atom + client’s developer
Services
- Software Development
- Agile & TDD Training
Technical Nitty Gritty
- Ruby on Rails
- Gentoo Linux @ EngineYard
- Prototype & Ajax
- MySQL
- RSpec, Selenium
Background
TheCommon was launched in the spring of 2007. Its founders envisioned an interactive, web-based system that would be the perfect response to volunteer communities typically overburdened with paperwork and missed opportunities. The founders knew what they wanted in the core application and recognized that Atomic’s Agile approach could build and iteratively extend their vision.
Creating Working Communities, One Click At a Time
It started small. The first few weeks were dedicated to building the core: need-to-ability matching. Early on, groups of 20 were given a demo of TheCommon and then turned loose on the software. The beta test sessions validated that users understood the concepts and functionality. People were quickly adding needs and abilities, matching them, and kicking off projects. Continued beta testing sessions influenced weekly iterations throughout development.
Never Letting the Bugs In
We worked closely with TheCommon and a remote design team, Thought & Theory, to validate that the site’s functional implementation and design integration were rock solid. Test-Driven Development (TDD) was central to the process. Atomic crafted automated unit, functional, and integration tests. Automated in-browser tests verified integration with sandboxed 3rd party services. Thought & Theory was involved in every iteration to ensure the user experience and visual design were being properly developed and integrated. The team’s approach ensured each iteration was bug-free and ready to work. It also allowed for rapid development and the ability to meet changing needs.
Results
- A need-to-ability matching engine that allows links across communities and privacy control
- PayPal-integrated invoicing system
- Scale-out options such as quick integration with agencies for disaster relief efforts
- New capabilities, such as Twitter integration, were easily added
- Community donors and recipients were able to engage easily and quickly
- Within the first few months 80+ communities joined and success stories continue to grow
Customer Experience
“AO talked Test-Driven Development from the beginning. Then, when you launch, there are no bugs. It allows you to worry about the more important things…”
- Benjamin Gott, co-founder, TheCommon.org
Video
Created by Paradox Media Group
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