Embedded Files
A makeathon is a design activity that takes place over several sessions. Your team will work together to create a larger project using the skills that you have learned thus far. For the mobile makeathon, you are challenged to build an app in Thunkable that solves a problem in your community and addresses one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. You will pitch your ideas to each other and form teams based on your interests and the skills you'd like to use. Once project teams are formed, you will work through a series of design cycles to complete the project.
Writing a Problem Statement
Writing a Problem Statement
After completing your pitch session and forming teams, you will decide on a problem to address, brainstorm possible solutions, and write your problem statement.
Brainstorm Solutions
Here are some tips for good brainstorming:
- Be sure to capture all ideas, even wild ones!
- Defer all judgement, on other people’s ideas, and on your own!
- Build from each other’s ideas.
- Be visual - you can draw instead of write words.
- One conversation at a time - don’t cut each other off.
- Go for as many ideas as you can.
Once you have an idea, write your problem statement. A problem statement is a brief piece of writing that explains the problem that your team is addressing. It should outline the basic facts of the problem, explain why the problem matters, who it affects and how, and present a direct solution. Your problem statement should answer 4 questions:
- What is the problem? In design terms, this also translates to: what is the need?
- Who does the problem affect and how? This is important because the people who are affected by the problem will be the users of your app.
- Why is it important to solve? Why is this problem compelling and do you have any evidence of the problem to back up your argument? What insight do you have to offer in solving the problem?
- What is the solution? This does not need to be a long response right now, just enough to give a little understanding of how the problem will be addressed.
When your group has finished writing your problem statement, post a video on Flipgrid to tell everyone about your project idea!
Mobile Makeathon: Technovation Themes
UX Design
UX Design
When designing an app, you want to create something that is easy to use and provides an experience that is fun for the user. This is called User Experience (UX) design. One tool that UX designers use is paper prototyping.
Prototyping is a way to model ideas or concepts so they can be communicated quickly and tested before coding. A paper prototype is a hand-drawn representation of the user interface, that typically looks like screenshots. It can help serve as a walk through of how users would navigate the app.
- What would the first screen look like?
- Will it have a logo? (Hint: Look at your favorite apps for inspiration)
- What is the color scheme going to be?
- What happens if you click on a button to get to the next screen?
- What will each screen look like?
- How will the user navigate the different screens? Can you show with arrows how this would happen?
- What is the smallest most concise set of functions you can create to help your users meet your goal?
Once you have a working prototype, create a run through of how the user would navigate the app and ask another team for feedback. Save your paper prototype because you may need to refer back to it.
Pseudocode
Pseudocode
Your next task is to take your paper prototype and use it to help you create pseudocode. To create pseudocode, write out what your app does in plain English. Try to use programming terms that you know, such as functions or conditionals, and any Thunkable components that you may want to use such as ListView or buttons. There aren’t many rules for how to write pseudo code but the goal is to get an idea of how your app will work before you program it.
Look at this activity for example pseudocode (but you don't have to do the activity): Technovation Pseudocode Activity
Media Assets
Media Assets
As you are working on your UX design, paper prototype, and pseudocode, you will begin to see that there are some media assets that you might need to gather or create for your app. In your design journal, keep track of what you need such as graphics, audio files, and text.
Working Prototype
Working Prototype
Now it is time to get coding! Take your designs and create your app in Thunkable.
The build process is lengthy and will take several hours to complete. Your team will be creating and testing code many times. You will modify and improve your code after testing and getting feedback from other teams and role models.
If you get stuck, ask the other teams for help. You can also post questions in Flipgrid for the rest of the SciGirls Code groups to answer.
Makeathon Demo Video
Makeathon Demo Video
Now it is time to share and celebrate all of your hard work! You will practice presenting your app before the showcase with the other teams. Another team should help you record your presentation so you can upload it to Flipgrid.
When preparing for your presentation be sure you include the answers to the following questions:
- What? - What is your project? How does it work? How did you come up with the idea?
- So what? - What was your process for developing the project? What was the interesting, challenging and surprising? Why?
- Now what? - What are you most proud of about your project? What would you change? What do you want to create next?
When your group has recorded your demo video, upload it to Flipgrid! Mobile Makeathon: Demo Video on Flipgrid
Don't forget to share your work in Flipgrid!
Look at the projects other groups have made and post a reply telling them what you think of theirs!
Report abuse