By the end of this assignment, your group will be able to construct a formal project scope document that identifies measurable project goals, defines target users, justifies a platform selection, and specifies the design and development toolchain for your semester-long HCI design project.
This is the first major deliverable in your semester-long group project. Your team has already been formed. Now it is time to decide what you are building, for whom, on which platform, and with which tools — and to document those decisions in a structured, professional Project Scope Document.
This document will serve as the authoritative reference for your team throughout the semester. Every subsequent assignment in the project series will build directly on what you define here. Take it seriously: vague decisions now will cause problems later.
Estimated Time: 2–4 hours of collaborative group work
Before any HCI design work begins, a project team must define the boundaries of what they are — and are not — going to do. This is called project scoping. A well-scoped project has clear goals, a defined audience, a justified platform choice, and a realistic set of constraints that the team has acknowledged and planned around.
In this assignment, you will apply scoping concepts from the module to your own project idea. You will select one of four target platforms — Android, iOS, Windows, or Web — and document your reasoning for that choice. You will also identify the design and development tools your team will use.
Work as a group to complete all steps below. Every team member should contribute to the discussion and decisions. The final deliverable is a single Formal Project Description Document submitted on behalf of the whole group.
As a team, decide on the application you want to design this semester. Your application should:
Discuss several ideas before committing. Rule out ideas that are too large, too vague, or dependent on technology your team cannot realistically learn within the semester.
Decide who will use your application. Be specific. "Everyone" is not an acceptable answer.
Consider:
Your user audience description should be specific enough that it directly informs your platform choice in Step 3.
Based on your project idea and target user audience, select one of the following platforms:
You must justify your choice using evidence about your users and the capabilities your application requires. Personal preference is not sufficient justification. Address the following in your justification:
Note on mobile projects: If you are considering a mobile application, you must choose either Android or iOS as your primary platform — not both. Document why you chose one over the other.
Write a clear list of project goals. Distinguish between:
You should have a minimum of three user-facing goals and two project goals. Goals should be specific and, where possible, measurable.
Identify the real limitations your team is working within. Be honest. Constraints are not failures — acknowledging them leads to better-scoped projects.
Consider constraints such as:
You should identify a minimum of four constraints.
Identify the specific tools your team will use. You must address both categories:
For each tool, briefly state why your team chose it and confirm that all team members have access to it.
Compile everything from Steps 1–6 into a single, organized document using the structure defined in the Required Output section below.
Your submission must be a single document containing all of the following sections. Each section is required. Missing sections will result in lost marks as described in the grading rubric.
Include:
- A working title for your application
- Team name (if applicable)
- Full name and student ID of every team member
- Identification of the team lead for this assignment (rotating roles are encouraged across the project series)
Include:
- A clear description of what your application does (2–4 sentences)
- The problem it solves or the need it fulfills
- A brief statement of what makes this application appropriate for HCI design study
Include:
- A specific description of your primary user group
- Relevant characteristics (age range, technical proficiency, use context, device habits)
- A statement connecting your user audience to your platform choice
Include:
- Your selected platform (Android, iOS, Windows, or Web)
- A structured justification covering: (a) user audience alignment, (b) platform capability alignment with your required features, and (c) team skill and tool feasibility
- An explicit statement of any platforms you considered but ruled out, and why
Include:
- A numbered list of at least three user-facing goals
- A numbered list of at least two project goals
- Each goal should be written as a complete, specific sentence
Include:
- A numbered list of at least four constraints
- For each constraint, write one to two sentences explaining what the constraint is and how your team plans to work within it
Include:
- A clear list of features or functionality that are within scope
- A clear list of features or functionality that are explicitly out of scope
- This section defines the boundary of your project. Be specific. "We will not build a back-end server" is a valid out-of-scope statement.
Include:
- Your chosen design and prototyping tool(s) with a brief rationale
- Your chosen development tool(s) and technology stack with a brief rationale
- Confirmation that all team members have access to each tool listed
- Any cross-platform tools or frameworks you plan to use, if applicable
Include:
- A short paragraph (3–5 sentences) in which the team collectively affirms that all members have reviewed and agreed to the project scope as documented
- The full name of each team member, confirming their agreement (typed names are acceptable)
AI tools — including but not limited to ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and similar large language model tools — are permitted for this assignment under the following conditions:
Permitted uses:
Not permitted uses:
Disclosure requirement:
If your team used AI tools during this assignment, include a brief note at the end of your document stating which tools were used and for what purpose. This disclosure will not affect your grade. Omitting disclosure when AI was used is an academic integrity violation.
The decisions documented in this assignment — your platform choice, your goals, your constraints — must reflect actual group discussion and agreement. AI can help you express those decisions clearly; it cannot make them for you.
When preparing your submission document, please follow these guidelines:
Students requiring accommodations should contact the instructor before the submission deadline. Submissions in accessible alternative formats are accepted.
| Criterion | Excellent (90–100%) | Proficient (75–89%) | Developing (60–74%) | Incomplete (Below 60%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Concept (10 pts) | Concept is clearly described, the problem is well-defined, and HCI relevance is explicitly stated. | Concept is clear and problem is identified; HCI relevance is implied but not fully stated. | Concept is vague or the problem statement is unclear. | Concept is missing, incomprehensible, or not an application. |
| Target User Audience (15 pts) | User audience is specific, detailed, and explicitly connected to the platform choice with clear reasoning. | User audience is reasonably specific and connected to the platform, though some detail is missing. | User audience is described in general terms with limited connection to platform decision. | User audience is missing, defined as "everyone," or not connected to platform choice. |
| Platform Selection and Justification (20 pts) | Platform is clearly identified; justification addresses all three criteria (audience, capability, team feasibility) with specific evidence. | Platform is identified; justification addresses two of three criteria adequately. | Platform is identified but justification is weak, incomplete, or based primarily on preference. | Platform is not selected, or no justification is provided. |
| Project Goals (15 pts) | At least three user-facing and two project goals are present; all goals are specific, measurable, and clearly differentiated by type. | Required number of goals present; most are specific, with minor lapses in measurability or type distinction. | Goals are present but several are vague, or the distinction between user-facing and project goals is unclear. | Fewer goals than required, or goals are too vague to evaluate. |
| Project Constraints (15 pts) | At least four constraints are identified; each is explained with a realistic plan for working within it. | At least four constraints present; most include an explanation, but plans for managing them are incomplete. | Fewer than four constraints, or constraints listed without explanation or plan. | Constraints section is missing or lists fewer than two items. |
| Scope Boundary Statement (10 pts) | Both in-scope and out-of-scope items are explicitly listed and specific enough to serve as a project boundary. | In-scope and out-of-scope items are present but some entries are vague or generic. | Only one side of the boundary (in or out) is addressed, or entries are too vague to be useful. | Scope boundary section is missing. |
| Design and Development Toolchain (10 pts) | All tools are identified with rationale; team access is confirmed; tool choices are appropriate for the selected platform. | Tools are identified with some rationale; access is confirmed but rationale is thin or partial. | Tools are listed without rationale or with incomplete access confirmation. | Toolchain section is missing or tools are inappropriate for the stated platform. |
| Team Agreement Statement (5 pts) | Agreement statement is present, reflects genuine consensus, and all team members are named. | Agreement statement is present and most members are named; minor omissions. | Agreement statement is generic or one or more members are unnamed. | Agreement statement is missing. |
| Clarity, Organization, and Completeness (Bonus consideration) | All nine sections present, clearly labeled, well-written, and easy to navigate. | Most sections present and clearly labeled; minor organizational issues. | Some sections missing or document is difficult to navigate. | Multiple required sections are missing. |
Total: 100 points
This assignment contributes to your overall group project grade. Feedback from this submission will guide your team's work in all subsequent project assignments. Review instructor feedback carefully before beginning the next stage.