Penn Plates
A social dining platform that helps Penn students meet new people through small-group dining hall meals.
Penn Plates is built around a simple idea: meeting new people should not require a huge event or a whole night of planning. Sometimes all it takes is a meal, a small group, and a better way to make that introduction happen. I'm working with this app through Penn SPARK, a computer science club at Penn, so this is a collaboration project.
Overview
A lighter way to meet people on campus
Problem
Underclassmen don't know upperclassmen
As an underclassmen, a big problem that I faced is not knowing many upperclassmen, which made course registration and navigating life @ Penn difficult.
Solution
Use meals as the setting
Penn Plates matches students into small dining hall groups so meeting new people feels more natural, casual, and easier to commit to.
Why it works
Small, simple, low-pressure
The format is intentionally lightweight. You sign up, get matched, receive messages through the backend, and you're all set!
V1
Validate the core interaction first
The first version focuses on proving the main flow works: students pick a dining hall slot, get matched into a small group, and actually show up for the meal. The point was not to overcomplicate the product early, but to make sure the basic coordination experience felt smooth and real.
In V1
- Dining hall + time slot signup
- Small-group matching
- Simple coordination flow
- Fast, lightweight user experience
Focus
- Reduce social friction
- Keep the flow minimal
- Make commitment feel easy
- Test real campus usage
V2
Adding backend functionality
The second version builds on the validated matching flow and starts pushing the product toward a stronger social experience. Prior, it was manual matching, but now there is a Supabase database in order to help with matching.
In V2
- Better backend
- Automatic Pairing
Goal
- Increased product independence (No longer manual additions)
- Pairing Algorithm for App's self-sustenance
Project Demo
Live product
The current live version of Penn Plates is available here.