AuPair: connecting volunteers and host families

Objective

To build a website + mobile apps to match foreign volunteers with families.

Solution

We developed the website + mobile apps to match volunteers from abroad with families in need of assistance. Our universal matching plugin for the underlying platform was used as is, because it required no modification.

Apart from the matching function, the project has many unique features that were developed in a compatible way to ensure future platform updates:

• Video introduction — aupairs can upload a video about themselves;
• Background checker — unlike other projects using a third party service, there was a manual system implemented for operators to eliminate scams and fake profiles;
• Aupair Friendfinder — an interesting feature that allows aupairs to find each other a foreign countries for friendship and networking.

Challenges

• Coordinated development, maintenance, and updates for native apps in Apple App Store and Google Play;
• Solving location-related challenges for both apps in platform-specific ways.

Technology

Platform: iOS, Android, Web
Backend: PHP, AngularJS, Ionic, WebRTC, FFMPEG, REST API
Database: MySQL
Payment integration: Stripe, PayPal, In-app purchases
Continuous integration: Travis CI