Summary of the project

The aim of the project was to conceive, research and design the TravelSafe application to the point where it can then be subjected to extensive product testing, qualitative and quantitative research. As part of this development the group has kept an online journal that records our work out-put, project decisions and research outcomes in a clear and professional manner. These are easy to access and to follow, and are tagged in a coherent way that corresponds to the marking criteria. Each member has contributed to the online portfolio, and consequently to the development of the product.

Throughout the portfolio the group has explained and recorded many posts which illustrate a number of criteria. These include: an analysis matrix to compare multiple different suggestions, success criteria, similar applications research, establishing a target audience as well as justifying the reasons behind platform choice and pricing, determined a project methodology, sought and adapted the project to expert advice, numerous designs steps including theory and logo designs, numerous engineering steps and diagrams such as UML and class diagrams, utilised background research to influence engineering steps, and developed a product that may fit into a potential market.

What the group has produced

Design number 1.

The One Percent are pleased to announce the introduction of the TravelSafe application and its video demonstration.

TravelSafe is a mobile application for anyone travelling anywhere in the world, whether at home or abroad. The application will consist of a safest route generator, which generates three safe routes from point to point, as well as a safety rating of areas within a given city which are both generated using open data and crime statistics. It will also provide travel information, such as bus and train times, locations and maps as well as weather information including severe weather updates and safety tips compiled from embassies, the World Health Organisation and social media and news feeds. Other functions will be the ability for the user to input information such as their travel insurance, flight details and important numbers, such as a lost credit card and incorporation of translation functionality. Finally, there will be a resource pack available to download which will provide a summary of the information and can be accessed offline to avoid roaming costs.

Next Steps

Our next steps are to collate our work so far in order to pitch the idea of TravelSafe to a Dragon’s Den panel. We will be pitching for funding to help us continue with the user-based research for our application, as well as the costs of implementation and testing. This is of paramount importance to the product as in order for the app to advice on safety all data sets, usability and reliability must be at the highest level otherwise individuals may potentially be put in danger. Any remaining funding will then be used in the process of releasing our application, such as advertising initiatives including a company website.

Broken down, these are the proposed uses for the funding:

• market research: from user focus groups to expert opinions, funding will be used to attract participants and host these events in order to obtain a better understanding of the types of users and their ideas for the application
• implementation: if needed, money will be used to cover any costs for licensing, hardware or software
• testing: as with the market research, funding will be used to gather groups of users in two stages to test prototypes of the applications
• release: funding will also be used to release the application to the market, covering costs such as advertising and the creation and hosting of a business website

extra: any leftover funding will be used to cover overheads such as staff costs as well as further development costs as needed. This may vary depending on test results and dataset reliability.

Written by Briony and Emily.

This post represents Structure and Story, Creativity and Innovation categories within the marking criteria. This is evident as the post sums up the overall project, presents the product the group has created, outlines future steps for its development beyond our project and demonstrates innovation and creativity in both product idea and future considerations.