Software implementation and consideration is carried out early in all system designs with the purpose of collecting and prioritizing needs, developing alternative software options to meet the needs, and selecting a preferred one as the basis for development and implementation.
Here a software option is an underlying idea important to the end-product, such as creating a neighborhood watch system that relies on the implementation of a software for collecting crowd-sourced data. An effective software solution serves as the foundation upon which the product is built. A software solutions helps the designers stay on track throughout the development process by ensuring a product of value to the target audience. These software considerations can be illustrated with sketches, images, or text. Choosing the correct software solution demands a clear understanding of the problem to be solved, the target audience, and the requirements. The number of software options that should be considered depends largely on how much time is available. However, the consideration of multiple software solutions prior to completing the design is a sign of analytic rigor and helps us avoid the bias of mindsets.
In our Design Proposal, the Software Considered and Selected section describes the software options you explored in search of a solution. The section addresses both existing approaches and any unique software options that were considered as you worked through the design process. The section summarizes the scope of ideas considered and highlights the most creative and relevant software for the solution.
The Software Considered and Selected section describes the selection process and rationale used for selecting the “best” software options for the product and overall goals. The rational may be expressed in tables comparing the software options against design criteria or summary evaluations of the different software options. In this software considered and software selected assignment, you will:
- Find and describe three potential geospatial design software options as a solution to the outlined geospatial problem
- Justify the benefits and details of each software option as it relates to the geospatial problem
- Identify and describe the potential downfalls or disadvantages of each software option
- Outline, describe, and justify one software selected, specifically highlighting the details and benefits of the selected software option as the best option for solving the design problem
Once you have explored the software considered and software selection sections, you can move on to the Lesson 3 Term Project: Software Selection Assignment.