Objectives
This assessment item relates to the course learning outcomes numbers 2, 3, 5 and 6 as stated in the online course profile.
Details
For your creative work you are going to design, specify, implement and test a prototype of a simple web application. You are to come up with your own idea for the app you wish to prototype. Keep it simple as you have only a day a week during term to prototype and develop this idea. You do necessarily have to create a completed app, but you must develop and document enough to justify the time allocated to the project.
You should complete the work in a number of stages, developing new parts of your web application project in parallel with each assignment. The amount of work/time you spend on this about the same as the time spent doing assignment 1 and 2.
The following describes each part that will be assessed and guides you in this assessment process.
App Design and Specification
You are to come up with a semi-original idea for a mobile application. You are to consider what the major functions of the app will be. You are also to develop data models for the apps' important information. Discuss your idea/s with the lecturer/tutors assigned to help you with your study. When the idea has been developed document the following (if applicable):
- A brief description of what the app is and what it does.
- A brief discussion of the motivation for producing the app, i.e. who will use the app and why they will use the app (target audience).
- A summary of the major tasks to be completed in developing the app.
- A specification (UML) for the major variables and data structures used in developing the application.
Client App Development
The app design and specification is to be used as the basis for the development of a working prototype of the app. The application should be developed using a mixture of html, css and Javascript. The components of the interfaces from the design need to be implemented and linked to the script. The main functions given in the specification
should be implemented. Any data gathered by the application should be stored for later use.
The main tasks to be evaluated are:
- Is the css file appropriately used for style elements?
- Is the structure of the html appropriate for a mobile application and are all necessary sections of html complete?
- Does the Javascript capture data from the interface correctly, is the functionality of the Javascript files correct for use, is the Javascript appropriately factored, is all required Javascripts implemented?
- Does the combination of css, html and Javascript provided meet expectations?
Server App Development
The node server scripts used to support client networking are to be documented. Source files can be included as appendices.
Database Use and Development
The use of server and cloud databases by the app is also to be documented.
App Testing, business and marketing plan, research
You must specify a plan for testing your app. Your plan should include how you will test the client Javascript and html. Include the results found from testing your app in your documentation.
Document the business plan for your app in your documentation. To do this you must determine your market demographics, how big you estimate the market is, and estimate how much you think you would be able to charge for the app. From this estimate revenue for your first year. Next estimate development, testing, marketing, maintenance costs and other costs for the year. Will you make a profit in the first year? In the second year?
Finally discuss how you will go about marketing your product.
Also include discussion of research done on research area relevant to the app. This includes researching for similar apps in stores and researching literature on any areas relevant to app (e.g. security, cloud computing, location awareness, social impacts).