3-2 Evaluate and Refine Solution Ideas
Your team will evaluate its set of solution ideas to select the most promising idea(s). This step is "Getting the Right Design" to solve your targeted problem.
Then your team will refine the selected idea(s) to improve the solution and make it more clear and complete. This step is "Getting the Design Right" by making your solution as good as possible.
Your team should evaluate its solution ideas by using the design criteria listed in the project challenge:
Useful: Would this help solve the problem?
Usable: Would this solution be easy for people to understand and use?
Feasible: Would it be possible for your team to make a prototype of this solution?
Innovative: Is this different from existing solutions?
If your solution idea for the smart device would require a special part that is not in your Photon kit, then determine whether it is possible to order the part – or to simulate the part. (For example, your smart thermostat prototype used a red LED and blue LED to simulate a heating and cooling system.)
If necessary, your team can browse or search the SparkFun website to see if the part is available to order and reasonable in cost. If browsing by category, check under Components or Sensors. Your team will be responsible for finding out how to connect and program the part.
Your team should use these criteria (as well as your team's design requirements) in order to select the most promising idea(s) for a smart device and web app that could work together to solve your problem.
It might be the case that your team doesn't have a complete solution yet. For example, your team might have a great idea for the smart device, but your current ideas for the web app don't match this device. If that's the case, it's okay – your team will think of new ideas for the web app when refining your solution.
Your team will refine your selected solution by generating additional ideas to show details of the smart device and web app. You could also show alternate versions or variations of the smart device and web app – such as different ways to build the device or different ways that the app could look or work. You will record these ideas using simple sketches and descriptions.
EXAMPLE
Here are several refined sketches for a smart lock solution. Each sketch shows a detail of the smart device or the web app.
In the next set of assignments that will follow, your team will create several project deliverables to provide even more details of your solution design:
System Model showing how the parts of your smart device system work together
Wireflow showing a sequence of screens for interacting with your web app
Storyboard showing a person's experience using your solution in a real context
YOUR TASK
Your team should review its set of solution ideas to identify the most promising idea(s) for a smart device and web app that could work together to solve your problem. Your team should select its best idea (even if it is only a partial solution). You can select multiple ideas if you can combine them into one solution.
Your team should refine its selected solution by creating 8-10 sketches to show details (and/or variations) of the solution. Be sure to include sketches for both the smart device and the web app.
Your team should show and explain your refined solution sketches to another design team to gather feedback. Use the feedback to clarify and improve your team's solution.
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