Overview & Background
The idea for the app originated during our freshman year when we received physical “fuksipassi” (freshman passes) to collect stamps at events. In our friend group, we wondered if the process could be improved—what if the pass was always accessible on your phone and couldn’t get lost? It would also be useful if we could digitally verify who gave a stamp and for what event.
Additionally, we thought the guild’s songbook would be more practical if it could be carried digitally and allow searching by song name or lyrics.
Issue addressed: The project aimed to replace paper-based freshman passes and songbooks with a secure, digital alternative that enhances usability and prevents fraud.
Development Process
We designed the app’s user interface and brainstormed how to ensure stamp authenticity. Our goal was to make sure that stamps were verifiably issued by the correct person to the right student.
Initially, we considered using static QR codes, but realized they could be easily exploited. Since no existing solution fully met our needs, we developed our own package on top of Flutter’s QR code libraries: 🔗 qr_plus package on pub.dev
Our custom approach splits the QR code data into multiple parts, making it harder to copy via screenshots. We also added features like timestamping and screenshot prevention for added security.
The songbook feature was surprisingly easy to implement since the content was already available in JSON format. This data was imported into a database and indexed to allow fast searching.
We integrated the app with the guild’s existing membership system, allowing all members to use their existing credentials.
Outcome
We created a foundational app for the student guild that supports future feature development. The digital freshman pass successfully replaced the paper version and received positive feedback. The digital songbook works well and makes it easier to find and sing along with the right songs.
Next Steps / Future Improvements
- Guild announcements directly in the app
- Event sign-ups
- Displaying weekly meal menus
Technologies & Tools
- Dart / Flutter
- AWS
- Node.js (Backend)