Design Proposal

It is vital to acknowledge that there are three types of problems that engineers identify when they need to solve an issue: problems of prediction, problems of explanation, and problems of invention. Problems of prediction are essentially solved by calculating a result or predicting system behavior by applying equations, physical laws, tools of data analysis, etc; problems of explanation are solved by seeking causes for a phenomenon or observed behavior; and problems of invention are solved by developing a new and effective solution to a problem. Moreover there are a plethora of needs that justify an electrical and computer engineering problem-solving effort. To start off, one need is safety and quality of life of the people they are serving. Furthermore, another need is improving an existing product or system. Engineers feel the need to enhance a product or system for several reasons. First off, one reason is eliminating shortcoming in the original design or fabrication by incorporating new technology and manufacturing methods. Additionally, another reason is that an enhanced product or system can better serve the changing needs of the user population. Now, another reason is to increase the commercial viability of the product by responding to competition in the marketplace. The last reason is to essentially reduce costs. Moreover, another need that justifies an electrical and computer engineering problem-solving effort is creating new products that are driven by commercial incentives. It is important to note that personal experiences also justify the need for the problem-solving effort since engineers can learn a lot from their own experiences from the past. Lastly, another need that also justifies an electrical and computer engineering problem-solving effort is opportunities from scientific advances.

Problem Statement - A problem in the modern day is the expensive nature of all items from groceries to electronic devices to luxury watches due to inflation. Rising expenses are making it more arduous to purchase certain items for people and is forcing them to be more cost-conscious. However, affordability is not something that is only imperative during tough economic times, like when inflation rates are very high, but it is important at all times since saving money is always advantageous. Therefore, a solution to solving the problem of the expensive nature of items is to create an application software that  provides users with stores/online stores that have the items they desire at the most affordable price.

Objective - The objective is to create an application software that  provides users with stores/online stores that have the items they desire at the most affordable price. This application software helps solve the issues of affordability and saving money. The software will help users afford a products and at the same time, save as much money as possible.

Background - This solution targets all people but specifically targets people of lower socioeconomic statuses who have a harder time affording items and saving money. The application will be available to all iOS and Android users in the United States of America. 

Methodology - The application software will be created through various software engineering methods. Essentially, the software will be created to have a search function where users can type in the product they desire to purchase or type in a description of the product at any time they desire. The software will then also be created to run through a series of algorithms in order to show a wide variety of items that match the search result and will essentially show where they can receive the items at the most affordable price while taking convenience and distance of stores into consideration. In addition, the software will also be created to allows users to have the ability to take pictures of items they see at stores at any time they desire and then the software will scan the product and run through series of algorithms in order to display a range of results showing other stores/online stores where the item is at the same price or cheaper while also taking convenience and distance into consideration. 

Expected Results: It is expected that users of the application software will be provided with a convenient and time-efficient method for finding the best price for products they desire to purchase in a store in their area/online store which will allow them to afford more items while saving more money at the same time. 

Costs - The cost to make the application will be no monetary amount; just a group of passionate engineers willing to sacrifice their own time to create the software and learn everything they need from free online sources to create the software. The cost for people to purchase the item will be free with ads and will cost $4.99 per month for the application to be ad-free.