This project involved building a unique online platform for a fashion rental marketplace. Here’s a breakdown of the functionalities and the development challenges tackled by outsourcing developers:
Features
- Product Uploading: Users can upload various clothing items (clothes, shoes, hats, etc.) with detailed descriptions, including titles, descriptions, and high-quality pictures. A specific focus is placed on capturing all relevant details critical for rentals, such as sizing information.
- Advanced Search: The platform empowers users to search for rental items based on various criteria, including color, size (e.g., shoe size, clothing size), and potentially other relevant filters (brand, style, etc.). This ensures users can easily find items that perfectly suit their needs.
- Rental Management: The core functionality centers around managing the rental process. This includes:
- Listing Availability: Users can mark items as available for rent, specifying rental duration and pricing.
- Booking System: Users can browse listings and seamlessly book desired rental items for a specified timeframe.
- Integrated Payment System: The platform facilitates secure online payments for rentals, ensuring a smooth and convenient user experience.
- Logistics Integration: The platform integrates with pick-up and drop-off locations, likely leveraging existing laundry shops. This streamlines the rental process for both renters and lessors.
- Cleaning Management: The platform ensures proper hygiene by incorporating a system for mandatory cleaning of all rental items after each use. The cost of cleaning would be automatically factored into the rental price paid by the user.
Development Challenges
- Legacy Codebase: One of the significant challenges involved working with an existing codebase and database that lacked proper design and organization. This can lead to inefficiencies, bugs, and maintenance difficulties.
- Data Normalization: Outsourcing developers addressed the legacy database issues by implementing a step-by-step normalization and standardization process. This optimizes data storage, minimizes redundancy, and improves overall database performance.
- Search Algorithm Development: Developing a robust search algorithm was crucial for the platform’s success. This algorithm considers various user-specified filters (color, size) and product information entered during upload to ensure accurate and relevant search results.
By overcoming these challenges, outsourcing developers were able to deliver a well-structured and functional online fashion rental marketplace. The platform empowers users to browse, rent, and manage their fashion needs, while also providing lessors with a platform to monetize their clothing collections.
