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CS371m Assignment 2 - App Proposals Page 1

CS378, Mobile Computing Assignment 2 - Application Proposals



Individual Assignment: You must complete this assignment on your own. Even if you
have already formed teams and decided on app, everybody must submit two original
app proposals.

Due date: All write-ups due in class on Monday, 2/10/2014, posters are due on 2/10,
2/12, or 2/14 according to your assigned poster day. The grade-center on Blackboard
lists your assigned poster day.

If you have a compelling reason to change your day email me by 5pm on Friday 1/31 to
request a specific day with your reason for that day. Everyone is expected to attend all
thee poster sessions, not just the one you are presenting at.

Poster day assignments are available on the Blackboard grade-center.

Submission:
Bring the write-ups of your two app proposals to class on 2/10 .
Place your name, uteid, and app name at the top of each proposal.
After your header information half a page of blank space I can write notes.
The write-ups must be on 8.5 x 11 white paper using at least a 12 point font and
single spacing between lines. Write ups must be single sided, not double sided.
Write-ups shall be at least 450 words per app, 900 words total. (Roughly a page
and a half per app, assuming you do not add graphics.) You may add graphics to
your write-ups, but this is not required.
Format each proposal with section headers and numbers corresponding to write-
up template given below. Include the title of each section in the write-up.
Bring your two posters on your presentation day: 2/10, 2/12, or 2/14.
Minimum poster size is 22 x 28 inches.
Quality of posters will be part of your grade.

Value: This assignment is worth 100 points, 60 points for the two written app proposals
and 40 points for your posters.

Based on materials created by Prof. David Janzen.

CS371m Assignment 2 - App Proposals Page 2

The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas, and throw away the bad ones.
- Linus Pauling

1. Propose two ideas for Android applications. The ideas may be original or supplied by
someone else with their permission. The apps must be non-trivial and should take
advantage of the features of an Android device such as the camera, data storage (SQLite
database), microphone, audio player, speech-to-text, location, sensing, network access,
gestures, and / or others.

At least one of the two proposals must be a service oriented app.

A service oriented app is one that you would give away for free that helps people in
some way. Service oriented apps may have a more narrow audience than a general app.
For example, an app that helps UTCS students may only be useful to a few thousand
users.

You will be graded on the quality and originality of your ideas.


2. For each app research the App section of Google Play (play.google.com/store/apps)
to see how many, if any apps, already implement your idea. If an app already exists that
implements your idea you may still propose it if your app is different from the existing
app(s) in some way. If competitor apps exist, you must list them in your proposal and
explain in what way your app will be different. If you have developed your own Android
apps, you must propose new apps. You cannot reuse or extend a preexisting app of
your own.


3. For each of your app ideas express the vision and scope of the app. Use the template
at the end of this assignment to describe your app. Each app write-up must be at least
450 words, 900 words total.

Apple has some good guidance on how to "Create an App Definition".

See tinyurl.com/c654oa8 and read sections 1 (List All the Features You Think Users
Might Like) through 4 (Dont Stop There) at the top of the page.

CS371m Assignment 2 - App Proposals Page 3

Even if you have already formed a team, each student must propose two different apps.

4. Create a poster (minimum of 22 x 28 inches) for each app. The poster must include a
title, your name, your email, your UTEID, and the purpose and key features of your
proposed apps. I dont expect real UIs from Android, but simple graphics of the UIs
created in something like PowerPoint are required. Hand drawn posters are not
acceptable. Use color appropriately. (A grayscale poster is very boring.) A flowchart of
the interactions between the various parts of the app would also be useful. Leave some
blank space on the poster to write down questions, add ideas, and identify possible
teammates during the poster session.

I don't expect professional grade posters, but I do expect things to be typed and
graphics from a program such as PowerPoint, Photoshop, Gimp, etc. You don't need to
print or create a whole poster, but you should print things out and cut and paste (tape?)
them to your poster.

Another option for mockups is the android app inventor tool:
http://appinventor.mit.edu/

Write-up Template and Requirements

Use the following outline for the description of each of your apps.
Label each section of the proposal.

Your Name
Your UTEID
App Name

Space for instructor comments: (half a page)


(Include these numbers and headers in your written proposal.)
1. Overview of the app. What is the big picture purpose of the app? Why you think it
will succeed?

CS371m Assignment 2 - App Proposals Page 4

2. App type: money-maker or service oriented. What need will it meet? Who are the
likely buyers / users?

3. Major Features, explain these in detail.

4. Assumptions and Dependencies (What features of Android will the app use? What
do you think you will have to learn in order to be able implement the app? What
do you already know that you will apply to the building of the application? What
off device support are you going to need? A server? A database? Are you already
comfortable using those resources? Will you use third party APIs? Do you know
they exist? Have you worked with them already?)

5. Scope of Initial Release - This is the Beta release due on Monday December 2. In
other words, you may have ideas for an app with many features, but what do you
think you will really be able to complete by the beginning of December.

6. Scope of Potential Future Releases

7. Operating Environment (what will be on Android device, what will be elsewhere.?
In other words, what data do you think you will need to store on the remotely or
access remotely)

8. Competitive Analysis (What apps already exist that are similar to your proposed
app? How successful are they? How is your idea different?)


Grading Criteria of Written Proposals

Your app proposals will be graded on the following criteria:

1. Did you follow the formatting requirements for the proposal?

2. Are your ideas original? Is your idea just another social media app? Students often
propose what they hope is the next Angry Birds or Facebook, instead of something
original.

CS371m Assignment 2 - App Proposals Page 5

3. Is the scope of your app reasonable? The app should be too simple, but it also
shouldn't be too complex. (Students tend to propose things that are way too
ambitious for an 8 week project.)

4. Have you clearly defined the features of the app and what it will do? Students often
propose very nebulous apps.

5. Does the app take advantage of some feature of the mobile device? (Sensors,
location, camera, touch screen, mobility of the device, audio output / microphone,
etc.)

6. The quality of the idea. Is it really something people would want to use? is it
interesting?

7. Do you provide enough details about the app and its features? If you need to use
something we have not covered in class (web APIs, other android APIs, database
usage, setting up storage / servers), have you investigated how difficult it will be to
use those features and tools?

8. Appropriateness of the app? You shall not propose apps that assist in questionable or
illegal activity.

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