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Part 2: Research Phase

Why research?​

Research is one of the most vital components of starting your project. The research itself will guide you towards a project idea your team will be excited about. It is the preparation needed to prevent mishaps that would occur by otherwise rushing the process. It will also allow you to see ahead of time what you will be dedicating yourself to in this club!

Ask the following questions​

  • What will be the high-level anatomy of your code?
  • Will there need to be a front-end UI?
  • Will you need a database for storing information?
  • If there’s a database, you will need some type of backend. Verify if necessary!
  • Depending on what you said yes to, start researching those topics and what languages/services you can potentially use!
  • Research similar products that already exist and incorporate features that you do and don’t want to include.
  • Research potential technologies that you may want to use and start thinking about programming languages. For example, if your website requires a database, ask yourselves what service would be most beneficial to your website. A relational database, NoSQL database, maybe something simpler? But don’t restrict yourself to one stack or language! Explore!
  • Research by talking to fellow club teams with similar project stacks or with club leadership, don’t be afraid to ask! This will give you a better understanding of what will be required for your project from experienced members!
  • Gather each individual’s research together to discuss and hopefully decide upon a project idea or even change your product’s approach or high-level design.