As my mentees work towards their portfolio, I encourage them to create an application that they want to create. During a Bloc.io course, this is called the Capstone Project.
I ask that they build an app that they
- Would want to use
- Have domain expertise in
- An idea that they've experienced missing from the market
- Above all, has a great story to tell in an interview or lightning talk
I ask them create to a Google Doc so we can pair on the project requirements with the following template:
Name of the Application
Short descriptive name
App Availability
Is this meant for desktop or mobile? Where will you host it?
App User
Describe the typical users and the market for the app. Is this for a real market or do you hope to create a market for it?
Domain Expertise
Why are you a good choice for building this app? Is there a story?
Planned Technologies
- ROR
- Postgres
- Rspec
- Bootstrap
Third Party Applications
User Stories for Phase 1 of Capstone
Example: As a user I want to: I want to be able to sign in, sign up, and sign out
User Stories for Phase 2 of Capstone
User Stories for Phase 3 of Capstone
Competitor Apps for Inspiration
Data Population
- Example: Wikipedia
Wireframes
I recommend Balsamiq for a rapid wireframing tool.