Capstone Project Ideas: Application Design and Development

  • Web site development or revision. Identify a client who needs work done on a Web site. Adapt and apply methods as appropriate (e.g. contextual inquiry, card sorts, usability tests, server log analysis).
  • Web app development. Develop a web application that provides a solution for a problem you have identified.
  • Process development.Develop or revise a process that makes use of existing products or applications. Evaluate the effectiveness of your process and revise it accordingly.
  • Information architecture. Develop alternate organizations for a Web site using a domain of your choosing. Evaluate the effectiveness of the different organizations.

Some Project Opportunities

  • The LAS Technology Center at DePaul usually has several academic-related projects that need development. The Center already has developers but usually needs HCI practitioners to research the user needs and design the application. You can visit the center's web site to review potential projects (look under In Development for examples). If you would like to consider a project with the center, you can contact Zach Freeman, its director at zfreeman@depaul.edu
  • I have been involved with the development of the Vincent de Paul quotes database. This site is used by both Vincentian scholars around the world and by public relations professionals at the university. How the online database could be further used is not clear. The project could benefit from more user research and a redesign based on discovered needs. If you are interested in learning more, I can put you in contact with the project's director.