Practical Project I SS3 Digital Technologies Lesson Note

The “What and Who” (Planning)

Before you type a single line of code or create a table in Access, you need to answer two questions:

1. What problem am I solving? (e.g., “Students find it hard to check library book availability.”)
2. Who is going to use it? (e.g., “The Librarian and the Students.”)

The Project Proposal: Write down a simple one-page plan.

• Title: (e.g., Greenwood High Library Manager)
• Objectives: What should the system do? (Search for books, register new members, track borrowed books).
• Tools: What will you use? (HTML/CSS for a website, or MS Access for a database).

Designing the Interface (The “Look“)

Don’t start on the computer yet! Grab a pencil and paper and draw your Wireframes. A wireframe is a simple sketch of your screens.

• For a Website: Where does the logo go? Where are the navigation buttons?
• For a Database: How will the Data Entry Form look? Is it easy for a human to type into?

User Experience (UX) Tip: Keep it simple! If a user has to click 10 times just to find a “Home” button, they will get frustrated and stop using your app.

Page 3: Designing the “Brain” (The Logic)

Now you need to plan how the information flows.

• If you’re building a Website/App: Draw a Flowchart. What happens when a user clicks “Submit”? If the password is wrong, where does the app take them?
• If you’re building a Database: Create an Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD). This is just a fancy way of showing how your tables “talk” to each other. For example, the Student table must be linked to the Books Borrowed table.

The Build Phase (Implementation)

This is where the actual work happens. Here is a secret: Build the small parts first.

1. The Skeleton: Create your basic folders and files. (e.g., index.html, style.css).
2. The Data: If it’s a database, create your tables and define your Primary Keys (like Admission Number) first.
3. The Connection: Use your code (JavaScript) or your Database Queries to make the parts work together.

Common Mistake: Trying to make it look “beautiful” before making it work. Make it function first, then add the colors and fonts later!

Testing and Documentation

Once you think you are finished, you aren’t! You must try to “break” your own project.

• The Stress Test: Try to enter a name into a “Phone Number” box. Does your system give an error, or does it crash?
• The User Test: Give your project to a classmate. Don’t explain anything. If they can’t figure out how to use it, your design needs work.

Documentation (The Project Report): You must write a report to submit with your project. It should include:

• The Problem Statement.
• System Requirements (What kind of computer is needed to run it?).
• User Manual (A “How-To” guide with screenshots).
• Conclusion (What did you learn? What would you add if you had more time?).

Summary Checklist:

• Plan: Solve a real problem.
• Design: Draw it on paper first.
• Build: Functionality before beauty.

Test: Fix the bugs before the teacher sees them!