Overview

The goal of this project is simply stated: implement and document the product whose requirements, specification, and implementation was planned in group projects #1 and #2 by your group. This is, of course, a good deal easier said than done, but the goal is for you to experience the planning, design, and organizational efforts required to produce a complete product.

What to Hand In

What you will hand in during the rest of the semester reflects this and is designed to increase the chances that your group will engage with the project on a regular basis and that your group will produce a reasonable product. The first implication of this is that you will have interim milestones to meet. You have already prepared the class presentation on your design, and seen that of other groups. You should, for example, also learn as much from the presentations of other groups as possible. I would advise you to compare the design and development plans you produced and those produced by others for the same projects. Remember that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If someone else has a better design or planning approach, recognize it as such and learn as much as you can from it.

The rest of the semester will be devoted to implementing the project you planned. Halfway through the process (April 29th ) you should hand in a one page progress report summarizing how your actual implementation efforts compare to the plan, what each member of the group has done, and any modifications to the plan you think appropriate to producing the best quality final product. Note that this may include backing off from one commitment or another to aim at a smaller but better quality product, as opposed to a larger and unreliable product.

At the end of the semester your group will prepare a presentation (Again, groups actually presenting will be a subset of the class as time allows) about your product and hand in a notebook containing your (1) Requirements document, (2) Design document, (3) Design Presentation slides, (4) Implementation document, and (5) Implementation Presentation slides. Further, since I would like examples to provide to future classes of what these projects look like, I would like you to hand in a second notebook with clean copies of all three projects. These are the examples I can give to future classes.

Your implementation document should contain a section describing: (1) the product you have produced at a general level, (2) documentation on its specific features and how to use them, i.e. manual pages or user manual, and (3) a section comparing how the work your group, and each member, did compared to the development plan provided to your group, and then revised by your group. Finally, you should upload the software you produced and associated documentations, and be prepared to demonstrate it to the instructor, should it be neccessary. This will require you to write code implementing the design, of course, but it will also require you to document your product as well. The documentation is often the hardest part. Good, effective, readable documentation, that is.

So, in summary, the rest of your semester will be busy, but it will also be very educational. You can help maximize the latter if you take an occasional moment to reflect on how your actual experience, your view of the product, and your frame of mind match what you expected.

Deliverable Summary

Dates for each deliverable are noted on the class home page section describing .
  1. 4/29: GP3-1 One page progress report
  2. 5/11,13: Selected Product Presentations
    • As happens many times in industry, you will have to present the product slightly before it is due, and perhaps slightly before it is finished :-).
  3. 5/13: GP3-2 Your Group's Final Notebook (contents listed below)
    1. Your Requirements and Specifications Document (GP01)
    2. Your Design and Implementation Plan (GP2)
    3. Your Design Presentation Slides (GP2- Presentation)
    4. Your Implementation Documentation (GP 3)
    5. Your Implementation Presentation Slides (GP 3 - Presentation)
    6. One page report of individual contributions to GP 3
  4. 5/13: Clean copy of your Final Notebook.
  5. 5/13: Your Software (Uploaded to EECS WWW site>).