Link to deployed application: https://brakluner.github.io/SkillLearningApp/
This application is a search engine and resource for people who want to learn new skills.
The user goes to the application because they want to research how to learn a new skill, such as cooking, coding, or carpentry.
The application is currently in the development phase and will be released in five phases. Each phase will be a viable product that is incrementally more complex and detailed towards helping the user to achieve the end goal.
ScreenShot of Application:
Phase One: Drop Down Selector with Basic Information
In this release, there will be a drop down selector with the option to choose from several pre-selected skills. Each option, when chosen, will provide basic information about that skill from an external website. The information provided will be simple in nature to give a proof-of-concept for the user. This phase will be a starting point for designing the structure of the website in a way that is appealing to the user.
Phase Two: Adding Resources and Categories
This phase will include resources relating to the selected skill, such as How-to-Videos or links to external sites. The search criteria from the drop-down will also be broken down into basic categories, such as Home, Technical, Fitness, and Hobbies, which will be displayed on the side of the page.
Phase Three: Implementing Search Bar and Saving Searches
The drop-down selector will be replaced with a Search Bar. The search bar will work for 50+ words that are searched that are considered popular skills to learn, based off of the API information. The category function will remain on the left side of the page, with the 10 most popular skills listed on as buttons that can be clicked to bring up that information. Recent search data will be saved to the LocalStorage for the user to view skills that they have recently searched for, with the option to click back on recent searches.
Phase Four: How-To Steps on Page
In addition to the information and resources listed on the page from the skill selected, there will be specific steps listed on how to learn the new skill. The steps will be between 3 and 10 detailed steps, depending on the skill. This will become a focal point of the search, with the other information subsidizing it below.
Phase Five: Enhanced Layout and Search Function
Once the functionality is secured, this phase will be focused on the UX and navigation capabilities. Information will be displayed in a visually pleasing manner. A theme will be implemented throughout the website featuring key colors, font styles, and borders. The search will have corresponding imagery or videos with keywords. The search function will work effectively for 1000+ searches, with the ability to recognize similes for words that are searched. Recent search data will impact the most popular skills that are listed on the left side by providing skill recommendations.