The Ins and Outs of Creating an App

It was one idea, and many months later we created a period tracking app!

It was the summer of my grade 11 year, when I learned about youth participation with The Period Purse (TPP )- it was an opportunity to create a period tracking app. Students from a University of Toronto club were looking to collaborate with a nonprofit organization to turn an idea into reality. We had to “keep this project confidential” until it launched. After working on the app all school year, Menstruation Nation (M. Nation) went live in the app store in May 2022!

Creating this app wasn’t easy, there was a lot of behind the scenes work to make this a reality. It required many hours of commitment from the entire team. We had bi-weekly meetings to discuss details ranging from design elements, privacy and security to launch plans for the project.

One important detail was to ensure that users privacy and personal data would not be shared. We also wanted a design that was user friendly, seamless and smooth for an enhanced user experience. But mainly, we wanted an educational app. And an educational app, it is! It includes a series of educational snippets about menstrual cycles and how to manage periods with dignity. 

After collaborating on several technical aspects of the project, the most rewarding part for me was filming the official brand video of the app with a professional crew. It made the project feel real. The entire team is incredibly proud that an official app was created!  

I was given the opportunity to work on a rewarding task, and volunteering with the TPP has been a wonderful experience. Here’s to Menstruation Nation app reaching as many menstruators as it can.