Building "Guide": An iOS App for Crisis Response

Ketaki Kulkarni — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:24:52 +0000

The Mission
When an emergency hits a hotel, the biggest enemy is fragmented information. My goal with Guide was to create a reliable, minimalist tool that keeps guests and staff in sync.

The Real-World Logic
Instead of over-promising on "AI magic," I built the logic to be practical. The Gemini-powered Assistant works based on available data:

Reference Mode: If a manager (using the staff code STAFF123) uploads a blueprint to the Supabase bucket, Gemini uses that specific document to help guide users.

Standard Mode: Without a blueprint, the assistant falls back to general safety protocols to ensure the user is never left without guidance.

Help Buttons: The app is equipped with quick action buttons to place calls to emergency services during critical situations.

Technical Architecture

Swift Fallbacks: In life-safety scenarios, you can't always wait for an API. I built hardcoded "Quick Response Factors" (QRFs) into the Swift code for Fire, Earthquakes, and Medical emergencies.

Minimalist Footprint: I relied entirely on native MapKit and SF Symbols rather than heavy external assets to reduce the overall size of the app.

Secure Coordination: Staff can trigger building-wide broadcasts, while guests can share their live location with authorities via a single tap.

Final Thoughts
Building this proved that AI-native tools like Google Antigravity don’t just write code—they allow us to focus on the human logic of the problem. I’m still refining the UI/UX, so if you have thoughts on the earthy-green palette, I’m all ears!

Appetize link: https://appetize.io/app/b_g2yygyljyegaqlr6lvyrit7334

Demo Link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PIuIq0BZ_DNYPhcpuFYULZA25yNCwIXI/view?usp=drive_link

GitHub Repo link:
https://github.com/Kool-K/Guide-Emergency-Response-Hospitality-iOS-App.git

DEV Community: Ketaki Kulkarni

Building "Guide": An iOS App for Crisis Response