Project pitch

Overview

Propose an exciting new feature or enhancement to an existing software system. You may choose any internal project from 5150 or an external project. The feature must be non-trivial, should not have been implemented before, and should be feasible to implement within the time constraints of the course with a 4-5 person team. The pitch should not propose building a new system from scratch. It must be adding a feature to an existing open-source software system, ideally with a user interface (UI/UX) component.

What to submit

Submit a 1-2 page PDF on Canvas that includes the following sections:

• Project title: A concise, descriptive title for your project.
• Team members: List the current members of your team if any.
• Abstract: A brief summary of the feature you are proposing.
• Current state: How is this problem currently solved (if at all)? Include screenshots or diagrams as necessary.
• Proposed enhancement: Describe the feature you are proposing. Include screenshots or diagrams as necessary. (You can use examples from other systems)
• Motivation: Why is this feature important? Who will benefit from it, and how?
• Technical challenges: What are the key technical challenges you expect to face in implementing this feature? What key skills will you need to learn or expect your team to have?
• Risks: What are the key risks to the success of this project? How do you plan to mitigate these risks?

Considerations

• Do not choose a project/feature that you cannot run on your system (e.g., mobile apps that require specific hardware). Also consider what resources your teammates may have.
• A link to all project proposals will be shared after the deadline. Please review them and rank them according to your preferences. You may choose to include/exclude your own project in your rankings.
• You may propose a project individually or as a team (up to 5 members).

Project selection and assignment

After submission, the course staff will review all project pitches and communicate acceptance or rejection of the proposed project. You will asked to review and rank all accepted projects. Based on your rankings and team preferences, we will assign teams to projects.