DearQUT
>>Visit live site
Role: concept and web design
Technologies: Ruby on Rails, Twitter
Partners: Bodaniel Jeanes
DearQUT is a student run feedback system which uses social media and community-based support to allow students and staff to get their voices heard by the institution.
I originally came up with this concept to tackle the problem of poor feedback within the university. Students were unable to communicate their frustrations to the organisation, and without strength in numbers, it was hard to make a strong case for change.
A team of 2 other students and I approached this issue by setting up an online site for students to post their messages and allowing observers to vote these issues up or down. This meant that crucial messages would ‘float’ to the top.
We also decided to provide the option to post a message via twitter, which was an effective medium for mobile devices and also effective in spreading the word.
After mentioning dearQUT on twitter, we received an amazing response from people wanted to say about the uni. The uni itself has so far reacted positively to the website and has offered their support for its development.
We plan on improving this service by providing two-way communication between the users and the organisation, incorporating more social media services and implementing other useful features. Keep track of DearQUT’s progress by accessing the blog at www.dearqut.tumblr.com