Work life balance is highly sought after in our fast-paced world. Hobbies are a great escape from the hustle and bustle. But, what if our hobbies can, every once in a while, help us be that much better at our jobs while also being a much-needed change of pace? A tempting notion to be sure. When I was tasked with creating a fully original, native JAVA Android application for a final university assignment I saw such an opportunity for so much more than just a good final grade - I saw a chance to design, then engineer, an application that would be a real help to myself, many musicians I know, and possibly others around the world. 

The idea was an app that helped musicians write songs (store lyrics, record audio, take/upload photographs and videos) on their phones with no need for internet access (the app works anywhere) and built in full privacy and data protection (no data ever leaves the user’s device). The idea was refined with other friends who write their own songs and when the idea felt solid yet doable – I began, working day and night for 3 weeks. 

The final app was (to me at least) incredible. I had poured my heart and soul into it, far more than I had any other university assignment - it had become less ‘university project’ and more ‘passion project’. The app looked and felt fully professional with no known bugs – even after vigorous stress-testing. The app is called ‘Lyricist’ and breaks is a companion in the song writing process from beginning to end. It allows the user to store versions of their songs, as anyone who has written songs will tell you, they can change radically overtime as they progress and evolve into their final version (if there even is one final version). The app allows users to keep track of ideas for songs in the form of pictures and super high-quality audio recordings for the beginning stages. Allows changes to be done at any time and stage. Even allowing videos to be taken or uploaded of the song as it is being refined or if a final version is to be kept for reference purposes. The app even has a help page for first timers. 

Dublin City University gave the app 99% and many friends loved what they saw, but there was an issue, the app was developed on a sturdy, 5-year-old Huawei P30 (Android 10), which was inline with the requirements of what should be supported in the specifications, but to my absolute horror, the newer android devices kept crashing in strange places. This was a heart-sinking moment, as the app worked perfectly on my device, but gave strange issues on any newer android. This prevented me from uploading it to the Google Play store as I had planned for the following week. So, I bought a newer phone: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Android 14) and am planning on making the app compatible on this platform as soon as I have the time. This is the positives of having a side-project that is IT related: it has taught me so many new skills that will be handy in my work life, while giving me an app that would help me in my hobby of playing and writing music. 

screenshots from the app:

Side projects such as these are great for IT personnel as they can have many benefits: 

• Freedom to try new things (technologies, methodologies, creativity, etc). 
• Freedom to walk away if we have bitten off more than we can chew or loose interest. 
• The technology could be a benefit for our and other’s lives. 
• New experience and knowledge that both expand and round-out our existing understanding of the world of tech. 
• The satisfaction of applying your existing knowledge in a new capacity. 
• The enjoyment of seeing a project through from inception to completion. 
• They are great conversation starters. 
• If others join in, new connections can be built. 

If you think it is too daunting of a task, sit down, think of something, make a few sketches and start! Once the project picks up steam, you may have the same experience as I did – you have to fight with yourself to put it down. My project is not yet complete, but the sense of pride and accomplishment will never die. What about you? 

Conclusion  

Side projects are more than just hobbies - they offer IT professionals a valuable opportunity to expand their skills, discover new technologies and develop creative solutions to real-world problems. For us at INTEGRATE Informatik AG, this means always being one step ahead and supporting our customers with practical, innovative solutions. The next time you think about a side project, don't hesitate: it could be the key to new insights and success - both professionally and personally.  

Bradley Weibel, Professional Software Developer, INTEGRATE Informatik AG