You are to develop a prototype web site that offers some interactive service or activity to an identifiable constituency of users. The site may be intended to provide a resource base for designers, an\u00a0information source for the public or specialists in some area, a system for selling digital or\u00a0other products, a business service, a way to create and foster an online\u00a0community or forum, etc. The site should incorporate the following capabilities: a database\u00a0of resources (any or all of: sound, images, movies, text, models, programs, etc.), an\u00a0interactive interface, streaming sound and\/or video. The site may also enable you to present\u00a0a professional web presence in order to: gain work (commissions); promote good design in\u00a0its various facets; and provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of a live project,\u00a0such as an installation design. It is possible, but not required, that the web site is put forward as a\u00a0commercial proposition, ie that your project assumes an income stream. Possible\u00a0income sources include: revenue from advertising and registration, and the sale of digital\u00a0goods (MP3 files, desktop patterns, computer games, mobile phone ring tones and opening\u00a0screens, gift services, electronic greeting cards, text documents, software, applets, advice,\u00a0access to a directory service, online tutorials and teaching materials). The site could be for\u00a0the brokerage of products and services by others. The site will be underpinned by one or\u00a0more web databases, which should enable data to be added to and deleted online, and a\u00a0simple search mechanism. Other data sources, such as APIs of external providers, may also be used. You will work in a group: each group\u00a0member will create an independently identifiable component or aspect. \u00a0You are to pursue an iterative design methodology, to the extent that you will develop an\u00a0Alpha prototype which will be subjected to a simple usability evaluation, leading to principled\u00a0reworking and a Beta prototype. The Beta prototype will of course still be less than a fully-<\/span>functioning commercial system.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Templates will be provided to enable you to assemble various components of the resource\u00a0base. You will have access to a series of databases with standard fields to take text,\u00a0numbers, and URLs; and a toolbox of APIs. The databases will be used for storing information on resources,\u00a0products, registrants, members, transactions, etc. You will design web-based forms and\u00a0displays for entering, extracting and displaying these data. The system is to be robust\u00a0enough for demonstration purposes, and conform to appropriate usability considerations. <\/span><\/p>\n During this alpha and beta development phase your project is to function as a completely\u00a0open system, ie, no registration or password shall be required to view the site content, or\u00a0for site management. You can speculate on what kind of security might be appropriate for\u00a0your site, and what levels of access might be provided, but do not develop that aspect of\u00a0your project for the alpha and beta stage. There are several reasons for placing this\u00a0constraint on your project work for this course: <\/span><\/p>\n \u2022<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>your colleagues and teachers need to be able to rapidly explore the full functionality of\u00a0your system without being constrained by registration, logins and\/or passwords; <\/span><\/p>\n \u2022<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>the world-readability of web-based software presents interesting challenges and\u00a0opportunities that are obscured by registration. Consider user-centred security protocols\u00a0and soft-security measures if needed. How important is it to secure your site in any case? <\/span><\/p>\n What are the risks?; <\/span><\/p>\n \u2022<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>there are interesting techniques for customising the user’s environment, through the use\u00a0of session variables and cookies that it is good to learn about; <\/span><\/p>\n \u2022<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>the preservation of open access, open source and creative commons, are key in the\u00a0Internet gift society.<\/span><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Project Brief You are to develop a prototype web site that offers some interactive service or activity to an identifiable constituency of users. The site may be intended to provide a resource base for designers, an\u00a0information source for the public …<\/p>\n