The Prototype
Goal: Create solutions to your challenges based on what you have learned from A4G and partners. Identify actual resources and funding you could put toward their production.
Deliverable 3:
- Publish: Share your solution to Applications for Good and designate an owner at your organization. http://applicationsforgood.org/submit-a-solution/
- Description (required). See Worksheet below
- Paper Prototype (optional). (iphone template in pdf). (android template in pdf) (android user interface images in pdf) (mock browser in .jpg)
- Functional Specifications (optional). See Example
- Doing Good badge: Provided by A4G, updated to reflect your progress and encourage more stakeholder engagement through your website and other communications
- Share solutions and opportunities: A4G scheduled, multi-partner call with other cohort members to refine themes and identify places to work together across organizations.
- Developer outreach: Solution sharing with our advisory board and developer circles. A4G matches and introduces challenges and solutions to tech community.
- Stakeholder outreach: Together we use the challenge brief and solution description to drive outreach to local universities, government and funders.
- Based on the challenge you developed in the last level, what really needs to get built?
- Participate in this level on your own or with partners identified by A4G including other organizations, developers and external stakeholders like university courses or departments, local government agencies or others that together we identify as being committed to your process.
➤ Level 3: The Prototype, Worksheet 1
Describe your idea. Who will it serve? How will it work? What benefits will it provide? How will it be sustained?
In what role(s) could you contribute?
- Developer
- Designer
- Organizer
- Funder
- Artist
- Manager
- Other
What platform(s) is this project targeted towards?
Personal Computer
- Desktop Web
- Mobile Web
- Smart Phone
- SMS
- Tablet
- Game Console
- Microblog
➤ Level 3: The Paper Prototype Worksheet 2 (p 1 of 2)
Object: Create paper prototype that will successfully demonstrate how an app or game for your current challenge brief would work. Engage your staff, constituents and users in the application design. Serve as a multi-media interactive way to envision your solution.
Activity: Two to four hours of paper prototyping. Involve your end users, staff and stake holders in this part of the process. Once you have a rough prototype, clean it up a little before publishing to your solution page on A4G.
Set Up:
- Playing cards of all tools available to mobile, desktop and game developers, User flow chart templates
- Get familiar with gamification strategies http://gamification.org/wiki/Game_Mechanics
- Web and mobile web templates (iphone template in pdf). (android template in pdf)(android user interface images in pdf) (mock browser in .jpg)
- Scissors, markers, pens and glue
- Database questionaire (looking at some of the questions related to information storage, database retrieval etc.)
Outcome: Produce a paper prototype. Participants will understand technology features used in current smart phones, feature phones, web or game devices. Participants will become familiar with user interface terms, developer strategy. Prototypes will be shared with cohort and peer reviewed, published to A4G with solution your descriptions to guide producers and developers. Sample
Activity 1: Get inspired:
- Welcome. Outline what participants will experience during the workshop and what the expected outcomes are.
- Demos of existing applications as can be found on http://applicationsforgood.org/apps/ . Plan ahead and download or watch the promo videos of a few of the apps that are already out there.
- Review your challenge brief and outline the solution process.
Primary question: If you could design an app that would address your challenge, what would it do?
Activity 2: Open the tool box, What makes an App? Pass out features cards among your group. (Printable PDF (56k) of phone and web features. Can be printed on Avery 5160) Each team member reviews their features shares until everyone is familiar with all of the tools you could work with. Many of you may already be mobile or game users, here is where you can share what you know about the tools at hand. Create your own features on blank cards if there are some that are not identified or do not speak to what your challenge requires.
➤ Level 3: The Paper Prototype Worksheet 2 (p 2 of 2)
Activity 3: What are the requirements?
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll usually end up some place else”. ~Inspirational quote
A. Now that your team is expert in the app tools you have available, outline what your app needs to do. List these as functional specifications (sample here) or as list of requirements. Create an exhaustive list of features as a group. “This application will…”.
For now, don’t worry if this feature or that feature is technically feasible. We will work that out later.
B. Refine your features list by rating each feature based on how well it serves your primary challenge. Pick your top features. Place all non essential features in the Version 2.0 pile to get back to later. Don’t get caught in “feature creep” Let your app solution start simple.
Activity 4: You are a user experience expert
Now that you’re team are experts in app tools, and you’ve outlined the requirements, or features of the app, create the user flow. Lay out a series of app prototype sheets (iphone template in pdf). (android template in pdf)(android user interface images in pdf,) (mock browser in .jpg) and begin to think about the flow of your features. What would happen first and why? Print out multiple copies and draw directly on the sheets the actual screen flow as you can visualize it. Pencil prototypes are great. Optionally use scissors and glue to cut and paste features, add images or color, etc. New ideas may come up in the process. Immediately decide if these are essential to the solution and if not, place them in V 2.0 Alternately, use photoshop or other editor to create digital versions of your proposed app functionality. Example: http://applicationsforgood.org/solutions/learn/ Use the template worksheets below.
Activity 5: Put it all together.
This is your final roadmap to developers. With this you’ve successfully created your solution prototype. Scan, export or otherwise record your prototype and attach it to your Applications for Good solution page. Update the solution page regularly with changes or revisions.
