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Prototype - 10 marks
Prototype - 10 marks
What does it need to contain?
What does it need to contain?
Take note of the highlighted KEY words
A Bit of Background:
A Bit of Background:
What is a prototype?
The classic definition of a prototype is that it is a scaled (smaller) demo of a full-scale thing you want to make. A prototype might be partially built or designed to showcase a particular feature of a bigger system.
Why prototype?
We can develop part of a system, upon which we can get feedback on how usable it is:
Early discovery of design problems (less expensive and easier to correct).
Testing to determine fit and durability.
Receive feedback from customers and end users.
Identify improvements.
- Prototype Justification
Purpose - To identify which parts of your system you are going to include in your prototype, and which parts will be excluded. You then have to explain your reasoning.
Create a table with the following headings:
List ALL your project's objectives in the table, under the heading Objective.
For each objective, state whether it is included in the development of your prototype (Y), or excluded from your prototype (N).
State the reason for each objective's inclusion or exclusion.
How do I decide what’s in and out of my programmed prototype?
It needs to be core functionality i.e. if you’re doing a Sales system, you may create a customer, create a sales and some output, but you may omit the processing to create an item of stock, as you have already shown how to create a customer.
Your user interface can be quite basic in your prototype – it does not have to look ‘pretty’.
Any peripheral processing e.g. not day-to-day functions such as creating a monthly sales report, or loyalty scheme would be omitted from a prototype.
You could omit some of the non-essential data. Your primary and foreign keys would need to be present, but for example, the customer’s email address need not be stored when adding a customer using the prototype.
You may perform a search for Customers on customer id in your prototype. Then, in your review, you may decide that searches are also required on Surname, Form Class, etc.
Login processes are not usually expected in a prototype. However, if you do include a login process, you would just show for one level of user. You may then implement different levels of access for different users, in your full implementation.
Validation is not usually included in a prototype.
2. Prototype
2. Prototype
Purpose - To create and document the prototype of your proposed system, in your chosen programming language.
Notes:
You must create a functioning prototype, which carries out all chosen processes, using realistic data.
Developmental Testing is used to show all evidence of ALL the processes in your prototype, as you develop it. Your prototype and your developmental testing MUST be done alongside one another. You must also show errors that occurred and describe what you did to put them right, with supporting screenshots (see Developmental Testing webpage).
Save your prototype in your prototype folder. You will then take a copy of it and save it in your System Development folder. You will continue to develop this second version as your final version. The prototype version will not be developed any further.
3. Prototype Evidence
3. Prototype Evidence
Purpose - To display a comprehensive range of screens and outputs.
Screenshot and annotate all of your forms and outputs for the functionality you have included in the prototype.
4. Prototype Evaluation
4. Prototype Evaluation
Purpose - To evaluate the functioning of the prototype , justifying good features, shortcomings and made specific suggestions for improvement. This evaluation is explicitly your point of view. You analyse your prototype and you give some of your own ideas for improvement.
You need the following sections in your Evaluation:
Good features
Evaluate the functionality you included in your prototype, emphasising it's good features.
Shortcomings
Describe any shortcomings of your prototype (things which haven't worked so well, missing functionality, etc).
Suggestions for Improvement
Describe some of your ideas for how your prototype could be improved (extra functionality, things you might change)
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