Progressive Web Apps for Social Development

Our global landscape is one where technology is becoming a larger and larger fundamental part of everyday life. Technological landscapes are now merging with global landscapes and one may not find one without the other. Business and social interactions are also finding its way onto the technological landscapes. Due to the enormous reach of the instruments of the technological landscape, especially the mobile phone and fast internet, it is also a time when social development can be ushered through the use of the tools in this technological landscapes. Progressive Web Apps are software applications which leverages on modern web capabilities to deliver an app-esque feel for users. These apps have advantages of being able to run in most mobile devices, while preserving the use of the latest technologies in web. Therefore, creating these apps, instead of more traditional desktop or mobile ones, can be very fitting in its role of social development. In this book, we delve into the basics of using web apps for social development. Some use cases are highlighted for situations of civil unrests in fragile countries, and some use cases are highlighted for some growing problems of developed countries too. Then a short section introduces the reader on how to make a very simple Progressive Web App. Later in the book, some web apps which were previously designed with many of the core tenants of Progressive Web Apps are shown to the reader, and how these can create a positive change in many lives, discussed. We hope the readers can feel the excitement of this new field as much as we do, and we also hope at least some of the readers to hop on this PWA train too!Happy reading!