Scenario

You have recently been hired as the newest member of the mobile application development team for the Mobile2App Company. Every week, your team meets to discuss the latest client projects that have been sent in and to assign the work. There are three available projects that both you and the rest of the team feel would be a good fit for your expertise. This means you may select which application you would like to work on. Your options are an inventory app, an event tracking app, and a weight tracking app.

Option 1: Inventory App

This application will be used to track items in a warehouse. This application must include the following:

A database with      at least two tables, one to store the inventory items and one to store      user logins and passwords

A screen for      logging into the app. Note that this should also be used to create a login      if the user has never logged in before.

A screen, with a      grid, that displays all items in the inventory

A mechanism by      which the user can add and remove items from inventory

A mechanism by      which the user can increase or decrease the number of a specific item in      the inventory

• A mechanism by      which the application will notify the user when the amount of any item in      the inventory has been reduced to 0 (zero)

Prompt

• Choose one of the options from Mobile2App’s clients and then begin by reviewing their needs. Remember that you will continue to work on this client’s app during the next modules, as this same scenario will be used for all of the projects in this course.

Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:

• Articulate the goals of the project. Begin by identifying the application you have chosen to work on. Then explain the overarching purpose of the app. Be sure to reference the major components you think will be necessary to include in the app in order to support the app’s goals. Reference the detailed list of needs included below the app option you selected in the Scenario section. For example, each option includes the need for a screen, with a grid, that displays information. Explain how you might design this at a high level with reference to features, what it would need to include, and how that serves the users to meet the mobile app’s goals.

Compare the mobile app you selected to other successful apps of the same type. You should reference two mobile apps that have similar themes and goals to the one you will be developing. When completing this comparison, you can explore mobile apps you have used or ones you are less familiar with but found via online research. If you need ideas, you can look through the Android Apps on Google Play resource that is linked in this week’s Resources section. Researching competitive apps that target the same audience will help you better understand ways the goals of your app can be addressed.

• Discuss potential users of the application. You will need to identify three different user types, based on their goals, and describe them. The details in the Scenario section should help you form an idea of who the app’s users would likely be. Think about the following questions when crafting your response:

What needs might a user have that your app would serve?

• Why might a user decide engaging with your app is the right choice for them?

Where does your app fit in a user’s lifestyle?

• How much time might a user have available to engage with your app?