Too often, together with high tuition and living expenses, college students can struggle to afford professional attire and daily clothing. In particular, they may require expensive suits, shoes, ties, and other items they cannot afford for professional events and interviews. The purpose of the Campus Closet app is to solve these problems by connecting students with clothing donors.
The Campus Closet app provides a mobile platform enabling students to claim much-needed garments free of charge from generous donors. It makes possible direct student-to-donor connections for a meaningful, personalized transfer.
Campus Closet provides value to both students and community donors. Students directly benefit through free access to clothing they require but may be unable to purchase outright. This prevents financial circumstances from negatively impacting student participation, dignity, and educational- and career outcomes.
Donors benefit from an easy way to find a new home for quality used items, supporting sustainability through reuse. Additional benefits include strengthening campus–community ties, heightening affordability- and equity awareness, and donating clothing at scale. By focusing specifically on the college community, Campus Closet creates targeted value for both user groups.
Students use the mobile app to browse available clothing donations posted by community members. They can search for items they require by type, size, and gender fit, then arrange pickups or drop-offs that work with their schedules. The interface enables students to communicate directly with donors to facilitate smooth hand-offs. After receiving clothing, students can provide reviews and ratings to inform others and to recognize generous donors.
For those supplying the clothing, the app provides a straightforward way to post photos and descriptions of items. Key details like size, condition, and pickup logistics can be listed to transparently set expectations. Donors can track the status of listings and coordinate meetups. Donors may include individuals, families, churches, businesses, thrift stores, or anyone else with lightly-used, quality clothing to spare. Campus Closet aims to effectively connect these donor groups with students who have clothing needs and will put donations to productive use.
User Management
- Users can create a donor or student profile with name, email address, and password
- Users can log in and log out of the app or website with their credentials
- Students confirm their status via school email address verification
- Donors provide physical addresses and consent to a background check
Listings
- Donors can create listings with photos and item details such as type, size, and condition
- Listings will be categorized by type (jackets, shoes, etc.) with filters to search
- Students can view available listings without needing to log in
Claim Process
- Logged-in students request and claim donated items by contacting the donor
- Donors are notified and can approve or decline requests
- Communication history and status are visible to both parties
Location and Mapping
- Users are asked to enable location services and input their location
- Map displays users in proximity to facilitate meetups for pickups
- Directions functionality integrates with Google Maps
Ratings and Reviews
- Students are asked to leave a 1–5 star rating and a review after receiving clothing
- Reviews are visible in donor profiles with an average rating score
Administration
- Admin or moderator roles enable oversight of disputes or violations of terms
- Block or ban functionality is available for severely problematic users
- Analytics dashboard tracks usage metrics and transactions
Campus Closet is crafted using modern technologies such as Ruby on Rails, providing a robust and scalable foundation for the app’s development. Hosted on Heroku, the platform ensures seamless deployment and management, allowing for smooth user experiences and efficient updates.
Coming soon!
