It is almost time to build something, but before you do, remember that paper is cheaper than code. This assignment will get you closer to what you will ultimately build, and give you actual customer feedback.
(1) Design Phase: You should create initial design drafts or UI wireframes of your Battleship application with paper, pencils, highlighters, etc. Draw what what you think it will actually look like! Emphasize the importance of clarity and detail in these drafts, as they will be the basis for feedback.
(2) Review Session: Organize a review session where you walk other people through your design — perhaps even playing the game against them. This should be entirely focused on interactive feedback and discussion. Ensure you follow this set of criteria or guidelines for providing constructive feedback:
- Clarity: Assess if the design is clear and understandable by your reviewer. Check if the diagrams, labels, and descriptions effectively convey the intended design and functionality and they understand what they are to do.
- Completeness: Evaluate whether all necessary components of the design are included. UI wireframes should have all of all user interface elements and flows that you think you will need.
- Consistency: Look for consistency in the design elements across different diagrams and wireframes. Ensure that naming conventions are followed, and similar elements are represented in the same way throughout.
- Scalability: Consider how well the design accommodates future growth. Evaluate if the design allows for adding new features or scaling up the application without major changes.
- Usability: For UI designs, assess the usability of the interface. Consider factors like layout, intuitiveness, and user flow. Check if the design follows best practices for user experience.
- Adherence to Requirements: Verify that the design meets the initial requirements and objectives of the application. Ensure that all specified functionalities and constraints are addressed in the design.
- Technical Feasibility: Discuss the technical feasibility of the proposed design. Consider any potential challenges in implementing the design with the chosen technology stack.
- Optimization Opportunities: Identify areas where the design could be optimized for performance, resource usage, or maintainability.
- Security Considerations: Highlight any potential security issues or vulnerabilities in the design. Suggest ways to mitigate these risks.
- Innovation and Creativity: Appreciate any innovative solutions or creative ideas incorporated into the design. Encourage thinking outside the box while ensuring that practicality and feasibility are not compromised.
Documentation of Feedback: You must take notes on the feedback received during the review session! Focus on actionable insights and suggestions for improvement.
Now photograph all of your designs and feedback, put them all in a single Word document and upload those into Canvas — You should take clear photographs of your annotated design drafts. Before uploading, check if the text and diagrams are legible in the photographs!