Step 3: Create the Solution
Enroll to start learning
You’ve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
Introduction to App Development
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Today, we will discuss how to create solutions in app development. Who can tell me what you think this involves?
Is it like coding an application?
That's right, Student_1! App development involves coding, but it also includes designing the app. Some tools like Thunkable allow you to create apps without heavy coding. Can anyone think of an example of an app they use often?
I use a weather app every day!
Great example, Student_2! We can use tools like MIT App Inventor to create similar apps easily. Let's remember the acronym **WIDE**: Wireframe, Interface, Develop, and Evaluate, which guides our app creation process.
Prototyping and Design
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Now that we know the tools available for app development, let's talk about prototyping. Why do you think prototyping is essential?
So we can test our ideas before we build them?
Exactly! Prototyping saves time and resources. Tools like Figma help you create mock-ups. Remember, **FAST** for prototyping can stand for **Feedback, Adjust, Sketch, Test**. Can anyone explain how testing fits into this?
Testing helps us gather user feedback to improve our app.
Very good point, Student_4! Without testing, we can't know if our design meets user needs.
Implementing and Evaluating the Solution
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
After creating your first prototype, you'll need to evaluate it. What does it mean to evaluate an app?
To see if it works like we intended?
Correct! We must also gather user feedback. Each iteration should improve our app. Remember the cycle of **IDEATE**: Identify, Develop, Evaluate, and Test. What can you derive from this cycle?
It means we should keep improving until it's perfect!
Exactly! Continuous improvement is key in digital design.
Introduction & Overview
Read summaries of the section's main ideas at different levels of detail.
Quick Overview
Standard
In this section, we delve into the process of creating solutions in digital design, emphasizing the importance of prototyping and testing. By using app builders or coding, students will learn to develop functional designs that address user needs effectively.
Detailed
Create the Solution
This section emphasizes the third step in the Design Cycle, which is crucial for turning ideas into realities. Here, students explore various methods for creating solutions, primarily in app development and web design:
Key Points:
- App Development Tools: Students are introduced to various platforms to create functional applications, such as Thunkable and MIT App Inventor, which allow for block-based coding, or even native coding environments for more complex solutions.
- Prototyping: Prototyping is a vital part of the design process. By creating wireframes and mock-ups using design tools like Figma, students can visualize their ideas before coding develops into a full app.
- Finalization through Testing: Emphasis is placed on the iterative nature of design: creating a prototype, testing it with users, gathering feedback, and refining the solution based on that feedback. This cyclical process enhances both user experience and product functionality.
Significance:
Understanding how to create solutions not only equips learners with technical skills but also enhances critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, positioning them to tackle real-world challenges effectively.
Youtube Videos
Key Concepts
-
Prototyping: The process of creating a preliminary version of a product to test ideas.
-
User Feedback: Insights and comments from actual users to improve or refine a product.
-
Design Thinking: A problem-solving approach that focuses on understanding user needs.
Examples & Applications
Creating a school homework tracking app using MIT App Inventor.
Designing a weather app prototype using Figma.
Memory Aids
Interactive tools to help you remember key concepts
Rhymes
When starting to code, make it light, Prototype first, test it right.
Stories
Once, a young developer named Alex made an app to help friends plan trips. But before launching, Alex spoke to the friends, gathering their thoughts, ensuring the app fit their needs perfectly. This taught Alex: 'Listen first, code later!'
Memory Tools
Remember the mnemonic WIDE: Wireframe, Interface, Develop, Evaluate to help recall the design process.
Acronyms
The acronym **FAST** stands for Feedback, Adjust, Sketch, Test in prototyping.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Prototype
An early sample or model of a product used to test and validate ideas.
- Wireframe
A visual guide that represents the skeletal framework of an app or website.
- User Interface (UI)
The space where user interactions with software occur, including design elements.
- User Experience (UX)
A person's overall experience when using a product, especially in terms of how pleasant or easy it is.
Reference links
Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.