Platform and Software Requirements
When using this iteration of ForwardStrides in a desktop browser, use Firefox on a Mac. (It will run on other combinations as well, but just in case we suggest restricting use to Firefox on Mac because that is primarily what we tested and designed for.)
According to the GR4 assignment write-up, "The MIT New Media Center in 26-139 has public Macs".
Starting Up the Prototype
Navigate to the URL "http://web.mit.edu/tscizzle/Public/6.813Repo/Home.html"
The app is intended as a mobile app, most likely for a tablet, so when being viewed in a desktop browser, it is necessary (in order for the display/layout to make the most sense) for the browser window to be re-sized (drag the bottom right corner) horizontally such that the 5-item menu on the bottom spans the window horizontally (this will be about 768px across, like a tablet being held portrait). Use as much of the vertical dimension of the screen as possible (a standard tablet would have 1024px in the vertical dimension, holding it portrait).
What Works, What Doesn't
At this point, ForwardStrides is almost fully functional, but there are some exceptions.
The chart page does not display the results taken by the app. Instead it displays some fake chart. We thought this functionality was perhaps outside the scope of this iteration, and the important thing was the selection page just before. So clicking "View Results", inputting the data, then clicking "View Progress Chart", will bring you to a page that is static so don't worry about anything after getting to this page (except maybe the "Back" button).
As of now, modifying results of a workout is only possible by re-timing the workout. There is text that suggests that there exists the functionality to modify the results from the Stopwatch manually, but that functionality will come later.
When creating workouts, limit it to 3 or fewer athletes for any given workout. This will change in future iterations of ForwardStrides, but there are some specific layout decisions that need to be made to accommodate more athletes.
You will start out with no data (groups, members, workouts, results). This iteration of ForwardStrides uses LocalStorage (from HTML5) so when you modify things, such as adding groups, taking times, etc. they will be remembered on your computer.
Explore, Have Fun!
After opening up the Home page, you can begin by exploring the tabs at the bottom, adding groups, adding members to each of these groups, and creating workouts for these members/groups. When you have some groups, members, and workouts, you can start timing their results. That should get you started with a somewhat realistic scale of data (assuming this app is used for a single team of athletes).
1 Comment
Sarah E Lehmann
Fidelity: I'm concerned about hour you're displaying workouts/results on the homepage-that layout isn't going to scale well. Perhaps the calendar doesn't have to be prominent unless you're actually selecting from it. This page doesn't yet look finished.
Usability: You aren't efficiently using your screen real estate on your home page. I like the design of the icons, though is there any reason to have space between them? Using ""x"" to delete a workout doesn't delete from the database. If I try to add/time the same workout again, it gives an alert. As for adding workouts, it is inefficient to have to go back to the homepage to change the date of a workout. If you have time, you may also want to look into scheduling repeating workouts, because currently entering workouts for the month can be a very long task, especially for a large team. You break your stopwatch metaphor by not showing times for each repetition on the stopwatch page (and it's more difficult to detect errors). Finally, you have a canned results page, but it isn't immediately clear to me what each line represents, what canned workout your showing-there's a lot of information that needs to be on this page that isn't there yet.
Overall: I had many issues with data magically appearing/group members disappearing. Be wary of this as you code your GR5. Finally, I noticed that right now, you're just using the jQueryUI lightness theme, giving your prototype a very ""plain"" feeling. I'd like to see you branch out for your final.