Assignment 2: Needs Assignment

To build an app that allows Stevens students to build their meal plans around the options available at Pierce Dining Hall during any given week.

• Scope: Pierce Dining Hall

• Target Demographic: Students, Faculty, and Staff who frequent Pierce

• Need: Weekly updates regarding meal options at Pierce from staff

1. Partner with Stevens Dining Services

Contact Stevens Dining to inquire about a potential partnership with the goal of obtaining information about dining options at Pierce, ensuring an efficient and accurate user experience.

2. Defining the Scope of the App

The app will accommodate a wide variety of dietary needs but will be limited to the options available at Pierce Dining Hall to ensure a quality project is completed with the allotted time.

3. Gather data regarding health-conscious menu items

This data is important to the app's ability to suggest food items to users based on the health factor of a given food item, as well as the user's preferences surrounding food. A dietician will be consulted, and the team will conduct research regarding potential menu items for Pierce.

4.  Developing the prototype

• Will contain nutrition information about any food items featured. 

• Will make suggestions based on users' preferences, health factors, and what menu items are popular

• Will feature an interactive weekly menu that allows users to build meals 

• Tentatively will be developed using React Native or Xcode

5. Testing and Designing

     Will release several prototypes and internalize feedback to aid in debugging and improving design choices.

6. Design Iterations

     Outputting each subsequent design iteration until there is no longer any major feedback to be received.

7. Beta and Alpha Prototyping

     Two or three major releases allowing the team to determine which UX choices are more favorable among the general population

8. Official App Launch

First, we expect to have a thorough and productive conversation with Stevens Dining to ensure specific and accurate information is being collected and provided.  Second, we expect to, in the end, have a functioning beta prototype that meets a variety of needs for various demographics.  We expect this app to be an easy to use, functional tool for the Stevens population that will aid those with various dietary needs and restrictions.  Ultimately, this app should be simple and accessible for the entire Stevens population, and should be updated regularly to ensure the most up-to-date information is utilized. 

The costs of this project should be relatively low, since apps often require an investment of time instead of an investment in physical resources.  We estimate that our group will spend an estimated 100-150 hours developing the application.  Most of our costs will go towards marketing, spreading awareness, and gaining adoption.  This will be highly variable depending on the scope of the project, however, when contained to the Stevens community, it should be no or low cost.  Additionally, to list our app on the Apple App Store, there is a $99 annual fee to open and maintain and Individual Developer Account.  There may be some unexpected monetary costs that pop up throughout development, but the time cost will be the most expensive part of the project.