In-Class Project Showcase April 2024

Student Transcript Automation


Project Summary:

Using UiPath RPA, our project automates uploading student transcripts from Outlook to the Jira management platform, which improves HR efficiency, reduces manual effort, saves time, and minimizes errors for Student Advisors at CSE.

Client Communication Security Establishment (CSE)
Professor(s) Adesh Shah, Adam Robillard
Program Mobile Application Design & Development
Student Team Members Giselle Mingue Rios
Diego Auza
Majed Refai
Jaryn Zubryn
Carl Espiritu

Project Description:

The Communication Security Establishment (CSE) Human Resources Student Program seeks to implement a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solution using UiPath technology to automate the process of uploading student transcripts to Jira, an applicant management tool used by the department. This solution aims to enhance the operational efficiency of the CSE,
minimize manual intervention, reduce errors, and streamline the management of student transcripts.
The RPA solution will involve integrating with the MS Office 365 Outlook inbox and the Jira platform. The automation process will include the following steps:
Monitoring Outlook Inbox: The UiPath bot will monitor the designated CSE HR department’s Outlook inbox or folder for incoming emails.
Data Capture: When receiving an email with the subject line “Request for transcript” the system will capture the sender’s email address and last name.
Attachment Handling: The UiPath bot will save any attachments in the email, typically in .pdf or .doc/.docx format, in a temporary folder.
Uploading to Jira: The system will automatically upload the received attachment to the respective Jira task, matching the email address and last name from the email with the information associated with the issue.
Email Notification: The system will notify the student applicant, informing them their transcript has been received.
Throughout our two-year program, we managed to gain a solid understanding of various technologies. However, implementing robotic process automation (RPA) presented a challenge for our team as it was a new technology we had not learned in our program. To overcome this obstacle, we committed to learning RPA from scratch, taking advantage of training materials, online resources, guidance from our professors, and the UiPath partnership, with various courses and tutorials. This effort allowed us to effectively meet the requirements and learn UiPath and Jira in the desired time, leading to the automated solution’s successful development.
By implementing this RPA solution, the CSE Human Resources Student Program will improve the efficiency of its HR processes, save time and effort for Student Advisors, reduce the margin of error, and minimize manual effort in managing student transcripts. This automation initiative will enable the department to focus on more strategic tasks and provide a better overall experience for student applicants.

Watts up With My Vape?


Project Summary:

This project analyzed the components of a vape puff at three different wattages: 10W, 20W, and 30W. Collected through 2,4-DiNitroPhenylHydrazine (DNPH) cartridges. The puffs were then analyzed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).

Client
Professor(s) Martin Lee,
Program Biotechnology – Advanced
Student Team Members Madeleine Valiquet, Cheyanne Jeffrey, and Ethan Carter

Project Description:

In 2022 in Canada younger people, in the teenage to young adult age range, were more likely to vape than older Canadians. The e-liquid in vapes contains harmful toxins such as aldehydes and other carbonyls. Generally, higher the e-liquid temperature gets, the more plentiful the carbonyls become.
The puffs from Flavour Crafters 0 mg/mL (of nicotine) Watermelon vape juice were collected by 2,4-DiNitroPhenylHydrazine (DNPH) cartridges at three different wattage settings on the vape 10W, 20W, and 30W. The puffs were eluted out of the DNHP cartridge with acetonitrile and collected as a liquid. Those liquid samples were run through the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) instrument to analyze the components in each puff.
This project not only shows the dangers of vapes but also how a component like wattage in a puff can change the level of danger. Due to the widespread use of vapes in teens and young adults it is a necessity to comprehend how the toxic carbonyls can change based on vaping habits such as increasing the wattage.

Populii Branding Redesign and Web Re-visioning


Project Summary:

Populii aspires to be the top online hub for businesses enhancing their corporate culture and workforce skills. Our IMD team focuses on projecting professionalism and trust through branding and web design.

Client Greg Smith & Mathew Burns, Populii Inc.
Professor(s) SuCheng Lee,
Program Interactive Media Study
Student Team Members Cassie Kukkonen
Jess Huynh
Iain Lahaie
Jessie Mbekou
Christian Ward

Project Description:

The project aims to unify Populii’s online presence. By integrating comprehensive solutions to cultivate and sustain vibrant corporate cultures, this initiative brings together two distinct brands: the Culture Shaping Collective, dedicated to fostering positive corporate cultures through skill development, and Orgfitech, focused on validating cultural growth, under the broader Populii brand.
Leading the rebranding efforts, our team ensures the seamless integration of the Culture Shaping Collective into the Populii brand while preserving Orgfitech’s unique identity within this expanded brand ecosystem. This strategic rebranding effort is tailored to resonate with Populii’s target business-to-business markets, aiming to establish a clear and coherent brand message.
Through a detailed approach to visual identity and messaging refinement, our objective is to deliver a digital platform that consolidates Populii’s offerings in culture shaping and learning enhancement, highlighting the brand’s leadership in fostering sustainable, healthy organizational cultures.

SELspace Web Redesign Project

 


Project Summary:

SELspace, managed by Pam Parks, is an online platform catering to educators focusing on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). It offers resources like lesson ideas and sells teaching units through its website and online store.

Client Pam Parks, SELspace
Professor(s) SuCheng Lee,
Program Interactive Media Design
Student Team Members Vicky De Sousa, Jihyeon Shin, Daniela Cifuentes, Samir Chaulagain, Emad Alnaji

Project Description:

Recognizing the need for education that addresses students’ social and emotional needs, Pam Parks emerged with the business SELspace. It is a website created for educators on the topic of Social and Emotional (SEL) Learning. Their website serves as a collection of various free online resources pertaining to the SEL principles while their shop sells teaching units, activity templates, book companion guides, and additional resources.
Lacking the team to address their growing follower base and the need for a more sophisticated rebrand of their digital presence, we embarked on a collaborative journey with SELspace. Seeking to redesign the website and shop layout and boost SEO and social media engagement, our team researched and consulted with our client. Our objective was to align with SELspace’s vision of cultivating a more accessible and user-centric shopping environment, emphasizing learning over mere transactions.
Using UX design, we brainstormed ideas, prototyped, and verified our ideas with representing target users. Keeping in mind our user base comprised of mostly educators, we created a revamped website featuring enhanced user flow, improved navigation, and easily readable text. Additionally, we redesigned the shop to facilitate effortless access to educational resources and promotes a seamless shopping experience tailored to the needs of educators. We also developed branding materials to be used for SELspace’s social media platforms as well as content templates to streamline content planning.
We are extremely grateful to our client Pam for this opportunity and allowing us to contribute to her mission of providing accessible and meaningful learning resources to educators. We also thank SuCheng Lee, our professor and project supervisor, for her expertise and guidance throughout this experience.

Vibes Social Network


Project Summary:

Vibes is a groundbreaking mobile app that will transform how we experience nightlife. Combining brand-new features, as well as established features from modern social media apps, users can find nightclubs, pubs, and bars that will fit their vibes.

Client Megan Chapman
Professor(s) Adesh Shah, Adam Robillard
Program Mobile Application Design & Development
Student Team Members Luciano Saavedra (Team Lead)
Jad Jaber (Development Lead)
Evan Winter (UX Lead)
Abir Islah (Project Manager)
Nic Martichenko (Front-End Developer)
Emy Berina (Developer)
Hadi Hassan (Developer)

Project Description:

Transforming the nightlife scene, Vibes Social Network stands as a unique mobile app poised to redefine how we experience night entertainment. Blending innovative functionalities with the best of contemporary social media platforms, users can find nightclubs, pubs, and bars that will suit their needs and fit their vibes.
Born from firsthand experiences of international students navigating Dublin’s nightlife scene, Vibes Social Network aims to make selecting a bar, club, or pub easier through reliable, real-time user-generated information.
Through extensive interviews and research targeting Ottawa residents aged 18-30, it became evident that existing platforms needed critical details such as cover charges, wait times, and accurate ambiance descriptions. The demand for real-time insights into a venue’s atmosphere, crowd size, queue lengths, pricing, and ability to plan a night out with friends before committing to a venue, resonated loudly among prospective users.
With the insights gained from our user research, our next step was designing an intuitive interface that delivered this information to users. Recognizing the crowded landscape of social media apps, our design system prioritized user-friendliness while ensuring essential details remained front and centre.
Transitioning to the development phase, we conducted technical research to assemble the ideal technology stack for our application’s success. Opting for React Native for our front-end, we were drawn to its widespread industry adoption, robust community-driven libraries, and customizable components, promising users a familiar and fluid experience. Complimenting this choice, we embraced Google’s Firebase services for the backend, enticed by its user-friendly authentication and rapid database updates.
Within Vibes Social Network, users navigate a wealth of real-time venue information, from crowd dynamics, atmosphere, prices, past reviews, and line length. Armed with insights gleaned from fellow patrons’ check-ins, live reviews, and the ability to share a venue with friends to organize a night out, users make informed decisions, enriching their nightlife adventures.
Working on this project has provided our team with invaluable experience. We learned about the steps required to design and develop a mobile application from start to finish and to overcome the challenges that come with it. It was challenging to manage this project’s scope as we quickly saw that the end app could have numerous features and capabilities. We handled this by focusing on the main user problems and ensuring the solution was handled most intuitively. One of our biggest technical challenges was writing clean, modular code that could be scaled with the app’s complexity. As the app enlarged, we found that we were re-writing the same components with minor changes. This applied to both the front-end and back-end. We learned it would have been more effective if we had planned which components we would reuse throughout the app and made minor changes accordingly.
Throughout this project, we were able to put the skills learned in the Mobile Application Design & Development program to the test as well as enhancing soft skills such as teamwork and cooperation. In essence, this project has not only enriched our technical capabilities but also fostered invaluable personal growth, solidifying our commitment to excellence in future endeavours.

Prefabricated Exterior Energy Retrofit


Project Summary:

The purpose of this research is to develop the skill set to design for prefabrication. This is achieved by studying its quality, performance, and speed of construction. It also addresses sustainable retrofitting practices and historical integrity

Client Research
Professor(s) Sonia Zouari
Program Green Architecture
Student Team Members Alejandro Barrera,

Kishore Gopi,

Santosh Balakrishnan,

Shubham Wedhera

Project Description:

Scope of the research:

Explore innovative pathways for prefabrication,

Deliver high performance, resilience, and affordability

Address pressing issues like productivity and sustainability

Integration of renewable energy systems in prefabrication

Respond effectively to the housing crisis and the construction sector priorities

Fantastic Planta Greenhouse Project


Project Summary:

Through collaboration with the greenhouse owner, greenhouse experts, and comprehensive research, Fantastic Planta Greenhouse Project aims to modify a greenhouse in Ottawa for year-round growth, emphasizing sustainability, budget, and design.

Client Rachel Gill
Professor(s) Professor David Solomon, MBA, PMP
Program Project Management Graduate Certificate
Student Team Members Team Lead:
Constanza Perez FariasTeam Members:
Azhar Qureshi
Braydon Campeau
Megha Ajith
Phoebe Jane Elizaga
Urvish Kakadiya

Project Description:

The main problem to be addressed is that greenhouses were originally designed to establish a controlled environment for plant growth during warmer seasons. However, these traditional greenhouses lack optimization for sustaining ideal conditions consistently throughout the entire year, especially during winter season. The challenge is to create modifications that ensure consistent and suitable growing conditions, regardless of external weather variations.

In response to this issue, we seek to address it by designing a sustainable year-round greenhouse. Dubbed as Fantastic Planta Greenhouse Project, the project team proposes the modification of a greenhouse for an all-season growth that includes the necessary adjustments, associated risks, budget considerations, and design details to transform the existing greenhouse into a sustainable and efficient facility capable of year-round food production. By consulting with the farm owner and conducting comprehensive related literature research coupled with architects and environmental experts, we plan to develop a detailed design that meets the needs and expectations of all stakeholders involved. Furthermore, our project aligns with the farm owner’s vision of utilizing sustainable sources, to minimize or eliminate the use of fossil fuels in greenhouse operations.

Ultimately, the implementation of this project will not only enable the farm to extend its growing season and continue serving the community with fresh produce year-round but also pave the way for educational initiatives, such as in-person workshops for residents through Ottawa Community Housing.

Automatic Bottle Filling Station


Project Summary:

The project aims to develop an Automatic Water Filling Station that utilizes PLC, microcontrollers, and robotic arm technology to automate the process of filling, sealing, and packaging water bottles.

Client
Professor(s) Wael Ismaeil
Program Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technician
Student Team Members Jasmine Thibault
Jonathan Arsenault
Ebiarede Hammond Elo Odibo-Satu
Jing-Jie (Noah) Peng

Project Description:

The objective we hope to reach by the end of this project is to create a process that automatically fills, seals, and neatly packs bottles in an efficient manner. This eliminates the use of manual labor, alloying for a faster and more cost-efficient process. Bottling and packaging are key steps in the manufacturing of bottled substances. Our project aims to represent a small-scale automated bottling and packaging process. This will be done by employing the use of a programmable logic controller, microcontrollers, FANUC 200 iD and various I/Os such as motors, sensors, etc.

CCEAC Quiz maker


Project Summary:

The online quiz platform can be used to quiz writers to write new quizzes, and to generate quizzes from preexisting quizzes and questions in a database.

Client Pat Poitevin
Professor(s) Howard RosenblumLaura McHugh
Program Computer Engineering Technology
Student Team Members Andrei Gronic
Maher Akremi
Abhi Patel
Nidhi Patel

Project Description:

client of this project:
The CCEAC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ethics, compliance, and anti-corruption efforts. They offer training, resources, and assistance to help governmental and economic organizations become more adept at preventing, discouraging, and reducing corruption-related problems.

Purpose of the project:
The purpose of this project is to develop and deploy an integrated online quiz maker/quiz taker platform specifically tailored for themes related to anti-corruption and ethics. The CCEAC aims to raise awareness about anti-corruption topics among employees of various corporations and organizations. The project seeks to provide a user-friendly tool for creating, editing, taking, and sharing online quizzes, facilitating knowledge assessment, and promoting education on anti-corruption topics.

Requirements for the Project:
The main priorities of the CCEAC Quiz Maker website include:
Developing an online platform accessible to different user groups, including quiz creators, quiz takers, and administrators.
Creating a robust database containing anti-corruption quiz questions and answers.
Implementing a RESTful API for interacting with the quiz database connected to the online web application.
Ensuring ease of quiz creation, offering a knowledge assessment platform, and providing flexibility for different use cases such as employee training and continuous learning programs.

Users of this Project:
Educators, trainers, and decision-makers within organizations seeking an easy-to-use method for knowledge evaluation regarding ethics and anti-corruption topics.

Hustle Temple Website Redesign & Rebranding


Project Summary:

Our team from the Interactive Media Design program is tasked to website redesign and rebrand for Hustle Temple. Hustle temple operates as a dynamic e-]commerce and marketing consultancy, catering to enterprises across various scales.

Client Raphael Ezema
Professor(s) SuCheng Lee
Program Interactive Media Design
Student Team Members Team Lead – Kristian Penny

Team Second – Samuel Tesfaye

Minute Taker – Setareh Bagheri

UX Researcher – Conner Hyndman

Project Description:

Hustle Temple operates as a dynamic e-commerce and marketing consultancy, catering to enterprises across various scales. Specializing in comprehensive e-commerce solutions,

we adeptly facilitate the establishment and efficient management of online stores for

businesses of all sizes. Additionally, we excel as brand ambassadors at diverse events and trade shows, leveraging experiential marketing to enhance brand visibility and

Engagement.

Our project team consists of four students from the Interactive Media Design Program at Algonquin College (IMD). Kristian Penny, Team Lead, Samuel Tesfaye, Team Second, Setareh Bagheri, Lead Designer, Minute Taker, and Conner Hyndman, UX Researcher. We worked through this project by these phases: Define, design, develop, deploy to provide solutions to Hustle Temple redesign.

Our team aims to redesign Hustle Temple’s website to create a visually appealing and professional online presence. The outcome of this project will include an attractive redesign of each webpage, a product that will attract their target audiences, between ages 18 and 65, and a mobile-first and user-friendly web experience