Lazztech Hub is becoming Lazztech Noun! - six months of growth at Lazztech ✨
Hello everyone! I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Shoshanna, and I have been working full-time with Gian for Lazztech LLC for the past six months. Before joining, I completed my Bachelor of Science in Software Development at WGU. I also completed a UX design bootcamp program at...
Hello everyone! I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Shoshanna, and I have been working full-time with Gian for Lazztech LLC for the past six months. Before joining, I completed my Bachelor of Science in Software Development at WGU. I also completed a UX design bootcamp program at General Assembly Seattle. I started on the project when it was still Lazztech Hub, which is what all of you have known it as. It is with much excitement that I’d like to announce that we’ve rebranded to Lazztech Noun! I’ve been incredibly grateful to work with Gian on the existing codebase for this project, and have been learning something new every day (if not every hour).
My degree focused on Java, so joining this project meant getting comfortable with a new tech stack. I was able to apply my existing understanding of software systems and architecture, and with Gian’s direction I have picked up TypeScript and GraphQL. The first order of business was to complete a few bug fixes and features that had been living in the backlog. Some of the more exciting updates I’ve added are an SMS group chat functionality for both Places (previously Hubs) and Events, and the ability to select a specific location for an Event or Place using latitude and longitude coordinates. Previously, the app snapped locations to the nearest address, which didn’t work well for things like camping or hiking events in remote areas. I also updated the Angular service worker to more effectively cache images throughout the app, which noticeably increased performance and reliability.
After familiarizing myself with the codebase by doing these backlog tickets, Gian encouraged me to comb through the app and give him UX suggestions. I wrote up a UX analysis document that covered all of the typical user actions, with suggested improvements for flow and clarity throughout the app. Then I presented these ideas to Gian, and with his approval started implementing the changes. The biggest improvements made included streamlining the Place and Event pages so that the layouts mirrored each other, and standardizing the navigation throughout the app.
Then it was time for the most exciting update to the application. A rebrand! Lazztech Hub is now officially Lazztech Noun, a community building app that centers People, Places, and Events. We recruited Rosa Lazzarini (check her out on LinkedIn here) to create a new logo for the app. Once the new logo was complete, I was tasked with updating the branding throughout the frontend. This included swapping in the new logo, and changing "Hub" to "Place" throughout the frontend and marketing pages. The functionality of the app is largely the same, just with a fresh identity. The idea behind the rebrand was to make the focus of the app clearer by using language that requires less introductory explanation.
This is just a high level overview of some of the key changes I’ve helped implement since working with Lazztech. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to practice my development skills with the encouragement of Gian, and to be able to contribute to this awesome community. Until next time, I hope you enjoy the updates!
