As I am writing this, we are two weeks deeper into this self-isolating unknown territory, and our landscape is changing daily. Still, as we see both the passion and loyalty shown throughout local communities and the rest of the world, it does restore that sense that there is good out there. While many of us remain indoors, we must also not forget the real efforts going on outside of our walls, fighting to combat and beat this virus. Even though some big businesses are still operating somewhat normally, this post isn’t aimed at them. This post is aimed at the small pubs, restaurants, cafes and other businesses that have been affected by this situation. How can we try to help get them back on track?
Speaking of which, does anyone know what day it even is anymore? Because I certainly don’t, but as I write this, there is no real destination, this is just documenting part of the journey of Awe-der, and the direction we are heading.
From the initial concept until today, our ever-growing team has put in around 350+ hours into working on this platform, outside of the daily client work we are doing. I know this is nothing to brag about compared to what people are facing on the frontlines. Still, with the effort volunteered by our team, we will hopefully be able to make a difference and to get businesses retaking orders.
That being said, from where we are now, the evolution has been great to see, but with that, we haven’t been alone. Stuart Langridge @sil over at kryogenix.org helped us immensely at the start of the build helping use architect the whole project. Additionally, we have linked up with Leeds based company Appcheck, who as I write this are conducting a full penetration test of the platform for vulnerabilities so we can ensure that when this is in the user’s hands, it is as robust and safe to use as possible.
So where are we currently with Awe-der.net? Awe-der has officially launched and we already have users taking control of their orders and navigating their way back to normality. From cafes to breweries, the wide variety of users is great to see, and we are glad we are helping people out.
Integrated payments should be launched very shortly (initially with Stripe and others to follow), allowing a plethora of new clients to come on board and help enhance the experience for not only them but the customers they are serving. In addition to this, we are also continually looking at other enhancements, for example, the ability to add images to menu items, to allow people to see what they’re ordering, because I know I’m not the only one how has eyes bigger than my belly!
With all that being said, there are still lots of enhancements we want to make to the platform, and by making Awe-der.net open-source, it should help ease the workload when times get tough.
The build so far hasn’t been an easy one, and it is far from over. But what we have accomplished in the time we have spent astonishing (even if we do say so ourselves!).
And it’s in times like this when communities, new platforms and stories become even more important, they let you escape and help give you perspective. So it is okay to be scared, we all are, it’s also okay to be frustrated. Even though this is only the beginning of Awe-der, and we don’t know where this platform will go, we hope that all the work put in will be worth it, and it will just make our story even more special at the end.
Keep safe, keep your distance and keep smiling.