Software Design Specification
The application is aimed at servicing booklovers with the means to engage into a larger community and experience a wider variety of reading material. The app will accomplish this through a number of key features which will enhance the user experience and provide a base level functionality which enables users to engage within the community. These features are described below to ensure a minimum viable product:
- Database of books
- Barcode scanning
- Search function - title, author, year of publish, ISBN
- Find someone with the book you want
- Find local book reading (book club) events
- Send message to other users
- Allow blocking and reporting of users
- Provides insurance and lessens liability for both parties in a transaction
- Consistent currency which all users can use; useful for international travel
- Book and event recommendations
- Book reviews and discussion boards
- Sort discussion by recent and highest rated comment
- Create and comment on events
- User profiles
- Books and discussion boards
- Messaging service
The application will service the features mentioned previous through pages designed to facilitate a specific part of the overall functionality. These pages are implemented in a way that makes the overall usability of the project more simplistic and easy to learn by separating core functionality into distinct sections that are only called when required. This minimalistic approach also allows for a more modular approach to designing and implementing the project, keeping in-line with the agile development model mentioned previous. The following list provides a brief outline of the pages to be implemented.
- Members login
- New member sign up
- Book/location/user search
- Show recommendation
- Show wanted books
- User rating
- Profile picture
- User name
- Profile Bio
- Currency amount
- User information
- Wanted booklist
- Owned booklist
- Achievement list
- Collection list
- Notes
- Book rating
- Book information
- Discussion board
- Book owner
- Map GPS location
- Wanted booklist
- Books nearby
- Event nearby
- Create event
- Recommendation
- Messenger
- Map page access
- Search bar
There are a number of factors which restrict both the design and physical implementation of the project. These risks are outline below:
- Competitors (high severity)
- User privacy (high severity)
- Database security (high severity)
- Products provided by users (medium severity)
- Quality of product may not be in control
- Rating system allow user to minimize chances of getting poor quality products
- Exchange of product organised by users (high severity)
- Safety of payment is ensured with internal currency
In order to manage these risks a number of risk management protocols have been implemented to counter/minimize the risks mentioned previous. These protocols have been outlined below:
- Semi-private repository - to minimise industrial espionage
- Encoded/restricted database access
- Insurance/security deposit required by traders
- Search book names, location or other usernames through the search bar
- Access “Map Page” through the globe icon next to the search bar
- View personalised recommendation list
- View wanted books
- Message other users through the top right icon
- Access profile page or log out through the top left icon
- BookCoin purchase through the coin icon (on own profile page only)
- View and edit (on own profile page only) profile details
- View user rating
- View wanted book list
- View owned booklist
- View personal achievements
- View book collections
- View notes taken
- Search book names, location or other usernames through the search bar
- Access “Map Page” through the globe icon next to the search bar
- Message other users through the top right icon
- Access main page or log out through the top left icon
- View book rating
- View book details
- Access discussion board
- View owners of book
- Search book names, location or other usernames through the search bar
- Message other users through the top right icon
- Access main page, user profile page or log out through the top left icon
- Access “Map Page” through the globe icon next to the search bar
- Show personal wanted booklist (“self” button)
- View 5 books closest to the current location (“books nearby” button)
- View 3 events closest to the current location (“event nearby” button)
- View recommendation (“recommendation” button)
- Search book names, location or other usernames through the search bar
- Message other users through the top right icon
- Access main page, user profile page or log out through the top left icon
Student wants to buy a textbook for class, they can search for the book using ReadR by searching for the title and author of the book. From there they can see people nearby who have the book and arrange to purchase it from another user using the BookCoin currency. After the transaction they write a positive review of the other user to help show that they are trustworthy.
Book reading hobbyist is interested but doesn’t know which specific book they want. They look at the profiles of nearby users who have similar book interests to meet new people they would get along with. They can then arrange to meet with the other user to trade books and set up a new weekly event in the app. Other nearby users can now see this new event in their home screens and participate. This adds to the number of books that can be traded.
A recent graduate is looking sell their university books to start paying off their uni debt. They add all of their textbooks and novels on their profile to the “owned” list by scanning the barcodes. After a few hours they start getting messages from other users interested in the books. They arrange a place to carry out the transaction and complete it using BookCoin. They are then able to cash out their BookCoin to AUD.
A book collector wants to lend out his books to make some money and help someone else be able to read a book that they don’t own. They arrange a transaction for the borrower to have the book for 1 month. The book is returned with the front cover ripped off. The borrower is charged the purchase price of the book and receives an incident note on their profile.
GPS visibility for some functionalities
Android phone, OS x+, x MB free space