Proposal:

Picture this: on a Friday night, a family is planning their Saturday. They want to spend the day outdoors. However, they must check the weather in order to plan. What if it rains? What if it’s windy? After they check the weather, they must decide: what should they plan to do based on the given forecast? What would be the best option given the weather predictions for the following day?

Problem:

Everybody wants to know how they should plan out their day tomorrow. Checking the weather plays a large role in this type of planning. However, these two activities are not combined. If planning activities and checking the weather were combined, deciding what to do tomorrow would be far easier.

Solution: Come Rain or Shine

A simple website is the solution. Users enter their zip code and the Azure function does the rest. The HTTP request sets off an HTTP trigger, which calls for the Azure function to run. The function calls on a weather API, collecting tomorrow’s forecast for the entered zip code. The forecast is then sent back to the website, where it is formatted, and the activity recommendations (such as “Go sailing” or “Read a book in a park”) are generated. The forecast and the recommendations are then displayed on the user’s screen.

Other Options

An HTTP trigger was not the only option, but it was the most scalable. A timer trigger could be used to send an email with tomorrow’s forecast to the user at a specified time every day. However, using a webpage makes the idea expandable. If someone is traveling, and they wish to know the forecast for their current location, they won’t be receiving their old location’s weather forecast.

Starting Simple

This idea is definitely simple, but it can easily be expanded. The email timer function could be added, as well as user preferences. The user could also select what kind of activities they enjoy. The broader the range of their activities, the more recommendations they can enjoy.

Questions

Should I preprogram all of the activities, or should I make the options available to the user? Could I add an email push feature to the site?