Overview

About the App

Our project idea is called Arc. Arc is accounting software directed at everyone of all ages to help individuals get financially stable through budgeting. Budgeting is done by the users inputting their data into the software, which would, in turn, transform the raw data into meaningful information, which is then presented to the user in the form of reports and graphs. The budgeting feature is similar to a spending plan that takes into account both the current and future income and expenses of the user, which is valuable for long-term users as it will keep the users spending in check and make sure their savings are on track for the future and help reach their financial goals. Arc also will have a learning feature directed at a younger audience in the form of a game/simulation to assist in learning about basic accounting and budgeting skills so users can understand the importance of financial stability at a young age.

Motivation

Our group's motivation for Arc is to create a valuable and unique project that offers a positive outcome for software users. We want to help and teach those with little expertise in accounting and teach them the basic concepts of budgeting to be prepared for their future financial stability. We also believe that there is very little accounting/budgeting software that offers to learn to younger people. With our unique idea of having a simulation that appeals to users, we are highly motivated to educate younger people on the importance of financial stability and budgeting to be prepared at a young age. Another motivator for our creation of Arc is making helpful software that is easy to use, cheap and convenient so that users won't struggle in accessing or using Arc. As well as this, the financial market is massive as every individual or business has financed, so there is an enormous market for budgeting software that is user friendly, helpful, and also an educational tool for students by appealing to their enjoyment, meaning that Arc is appealable for ALL individuals.

Landscape

g. Due to this, a broad range of industries is maximizing the use of cloud-based products and services. Cloud computing can now be used in; healthcare, education, eCommerce, marketing, and emails. For example, hospitals can keep records on a cloud server; students can access information via the cloud and submit work with minor risks, and users can download more software on their harddrive as a cloud server can store information.

Project: Aim

This project aims to produce a cheap, convenient, and easy-to-use accounting software with built-in learning features to help educate young users. This aim is what we believe is best suited for our project, as the purpose of the creation is to assist and educate young users with small finances, which will be completed if this aim is achieved. This aim will be successfully achieved by attaining many of our goals.

Our First goal includes creating a logo for Arc and creating many mock-ups of the software. This is a big goal, as this will give Arc its identity and what it will look like, which is essential as it is how users will visualize Arc. This goal must be completed with the highest quality possible to ensure Arc will be appealing as having visually appealing software will create an excellent first impression with our users. The visual aspect of the mock-ups must also be clear, so users can quickly identify certain sections/buttons and easily navigate the software.

Our second goal would be to create a functional prototype of Arc. This will allow us to test the functions and use the software, which will assist in improving it in specific areas such as ease of use, how efficient and effective it is, and ensure that the software can successfully input data that the user wants. Furthermore, testing the prototype will assist us in ensuring that the final software successfully achieves our aim, as it will enable us to find errors and identify room for improvements that we can adjust when creating the absolute software.

Our third goal will be to see if our prototype is friendly and appealing to our young audience. We would test this by letting our target audience look at the design and ensure that they understand the different functions and efficiently use the app. If there is something that our test participant doesn’t understand/doesn’t like, it would be our job to make changes/improvements to ensure that it is of satisfaction to them and the whole age bracket. This will ensure that our fully functional prototype is user-friendly and appealing to our target audience and allow us to receive feedback to make further improvements on the prototype.

Plan and process

This project began as a general idea at the start of semester two as just a budgeting software. After a few discussions with the group and our tutor about the project idea, we realized that there are already so many other apps and software that would be identical, if not similar, to ours. When we were brainstorming ideas, we came up with the idea to implement a unique feature that will be a crucial difference between Arc and other competitors in the industry. This resulted in us planning to have two features of Arc.

The main feature is the budgeting feature. Budgeting is done by the users inputting their data into the software, which would, in turn, transform the raw data into meaningful information, which is then presented to the user in the form of reports and graphs. The budgeting feature is similar to a spending plan that takes into account both the current and future income and expenses of the user, which is valuable for long-term users as it will keep the users spending in check and make sure their savings are on track for the future and help reach their financial goals. These goals created by the user (for example, save $250 a week so that I can afford a car by the end of the year) are the sole objective of the app, which Arc will be giving constant feedback and tell the user on what their spending should look like based on their income so that the financial goal can be reached. An example of Arc giving feedback would be like, “You should try and minimize weekend spending, as a large proportion of your spending is done at Toys ‘R’ Us.” The budgeting feature would also display infographics to the user, showing a forecast of their savings and displaying expense proportions every period (weekly would be the default period unless users prefer monthly, quarterly, or six-monthly).

The second feature of Arc is a learning feature for users to learn about specific topics of Accounting and Business. This feature is a simulation/game that the user can play and be given objectives/missions that the user needs to complete. There would be different simulation themes based on what age group the user is, with age groups consisting of Primary school, High school, and University directed at users at their respective schooling. For example, the theme for primary school would be Marvel-related (the project name 'Arc' is a reference to the Arc Reactor device that is in Iron Man's chest), where the theme for high school would be more sport is driven and the university age group would be more realistic and similar to a real-life simulation. The accounting topics will vary, as different age groups will have other issues based on a correlation of their age and topic complexity. For example, primary school users would learn the fundamental concepts of money and accounting and would not be given any challenging or complex ideas and just pretty much know the basics of savings and why it is essential and good. In contrast, a university user would learn about many complex accounting concepts and liquidity and financial ratios.

Figure 1: Example

So far in the development of Arc, we have completed the designing stage. This includes creating several logo designs and the team picking the one we believe best represents Arc. We have also finalized creating several mock-ups of how the software will look, including the different pages/sections of the software. These mock-ups also included the potential functions and buttons that will need to be implemented and where/how the user will input their data. These designs have been created, and we believe that our design is of high standard moving forward towards the development stage. So far, in the development stage, we have created a prototype of Arc. This includes fully functioning and interacting elements of the software. The prototype is usable; however, it is a raw image of what our final software would look like. The software has many sections and pages included, which can be seen and accessed through the prototype. The prototype also has been created so users can input their spending/savings amount. However, we are not finished with the development stage. Due to lack of time and only making a prototype, we can create and implement the software's actual "game" part. With this said, we have created the design and mock-up of the game section of how it would potentially function and look in our mock-ups. The only part left of this prototype is proper testing from users outside our team. We will need to select a few users to test the essential functions of the prototype and ask them questions regarding ease of use; if it's appealing, would you use this software, was there anything that you didn't understand/couldn't use about the software, would you recommend this software to your friends/family's and ask them for their opinion and general feedback on the software. Testing is a critical stage in our creation of Arc, as it will allow us to see an unbiased view of the software and its functions and enable us to improve the design/functions by the feedback received by the people testing Arc.

There are multiple ways we can get the software into the market and customer hands. Firstly, we can advertise our product and allow potential customers to use/demo the software, with the goal of them downloading and using the software if it meets their satisfaction. This would enable potential customers to try out the app and showcase what it entails, persuading them to download the app. We could also use promotion as a heavily discounted price for the first many users, which should be appealing to get our first customers actively using and testing the app. This would motivate many potential customers in the early stages of the release to try and get their hands on Arc as it will give them an incentive. Another idea could be to send our software to several schools in the area and emailing teachers/principals to use or implement the software in the school’s curriculum or potential assignments/classwork, which would be a great way to get many students actively using Arc as our target audience is students. This marketing idea gives us a significant competitive advantage as our unique learning implemented design can be used in school settings, whereas other budgeting apps won’t access this market. Another potential idea to get the software out and used by potential customers is to advertise the software properly. We will need to find a website/forum where we believe a lot of our customer market is (e.g., YouTube) and adequately create and design an advert that will grab the attention of potential customers.

Role

Claira | Lead Developer

Assigning jobs, skill sets and general management.Test and give feedback on technical and UI design.

Louise | UI Designer

Research and develop the theme/vibe for the project

Riley | Technical Designer

Research and develop the formula for the project

Biar | Technical Designer

Research and develop the data storage for the project

Dang| Technical Designer

Coding the project and combining all the research files including UI, equation, and data

Scope and Limit

Scope

The current scope of the development is to have a working model of the app on an Android phone to demonstrate the purposes and primary functions. This means creating budgeting functionality and recommendations for users to learn how to budget wisely. The scope also is designed to prioritize the main functionalities over more minor additions. For example, the main "My Budget" section is prioritized over a more in-depth accounting section. This allows the original cause for the project to shine as a proof of concept rather than an incomplete app filled with semi-finished functions. The most recent process to be added is the "analytics" section which reads the user's spending practices and outputs different recommendations based on whether they are spending too much, what they're spending it on, and general tips. Expanding on this scope, the next goal would be implementing the backend server that delivers content to the app, such as new tips, user backups, and cloud transfers between devices. Moreover, the accounting section would also be a new priority with the other teams having been finished. Ultimately, the final goal would be to launch the app onto a distribution service like the Google Play Store.

Limit

The limits involved in the app development include the operating system frameworks, divvying up of responsibilities, and design visions. By making an android app, the IOS user base isn't supported since apps are not cross-compatible. As a result, any work done in the Android SDK (Software Development Kit) does not benefit future work on Apple's SDK. Furthermore, our development has been done solely on one machine, which limits how many people can work on the app at once. As a result, some features may be left as coming soon rather than on the final demo of the app. By dividing responsibilities, visions and purposes can become diluted when communication isn't used correctly, and the picture becomes different from the original. Fortunately, our team has been able to use contact to focus on the budgeting app vision. Finally, by only having one key developer, the design is consistent across the app.

Tools and Technologies

For our project, we designed an app that helps teens and young adults budget. For this app, we used firebase and android studio. The android studio was used because there was a plethora of information on how to use it, and it was also trendy. Firebase was used to store data in the app.

Test

When the project demo is completed, group members will test the app on any simulated android phone, which is the majority of us. Moreso, there is a collection of screenshots illustrating the design methodology. However, team members and testers who use an iPhone will not test the system because Android programs operate on a different binary than IOS and thus requires time to recreate the same functions on an IOS app. This may be a reductive design only to have one, but it results from a limited timeframe. Another limitation is that the app is only on one person's computer, limiting the number of testers to one. If possible, a testing plan could be implemented where users can download the app from the play store beta features. After playing around with the app, users could respond to a survey based on their reactions and thoughts around using the app and whether or not they would want it. This is valuable for both young target users and parents who may recommend it to the children.

Risk

The risks involved in this project stem from the software. With Firebase, the hazards include; limited data migration, platform dependents, and less support for IOS. With these risks, the possibility of the app failing or crashing is very high. The other software (android studio) has plenty of chances as well. For instance, it is prone to getting malware. Since this app stores information about people's finances, it needs to be secure to trust the app.

To complete assignment 3, the group will aim to communicate more as the assignment's success is mainly dependent on effective group communication. The group will strive to meet two times a week in conjunction with the scheduled tutorial sessions. The frequency of group communication can be increased if it is required. In each group meeting, each member is expected to have completed the allocated work they have been given and provide input and feedback on other members' work. The group will communicate over technologies as Covid prevents us from being able to have group interactions face-to-face. These meetings will be conducted on Microsoft teams as every group member has access to it through RMIT. It also allows us to record our meetings and share other documents between group members. Some communication is done over Facebook messenger to contact members more immediately with a faster response time. If the group is unable to contact a member of the group, we will start by trying to reach out to the member during the allocated tutorial time as well as over Microsoft teams and through their RMIT student email. If contact with the group member can not be made, we will then raise the issue to our tutor either in the allotted tutorial time or by contacting the tutor via email.

Skills and Jobs

To execute this project, you will need the following skills and certifications. Our project is an accounting app/game that teaches young kids aged 10 and 14 about budgeting. To complete the project to the satisfaction of all parties involved, I, the manager, need that all four positions hold at least a bachelor's degree in their respective disciplines. Because the primary focus of the project is accounting, we require an accountant with a bachelor's degree in accounting and particular necessary abilities such as report writing. We need the Head of IT to have at least a bachelor's degree in information technology and leadership and management skills. Finally, we would want our programmers to have a bachelor's degree in either IT or computer science and professional coding expertise in Java, CSS, Python, and other programming languages.

Firstly, the position that is the crucial point for this project is a Team leader, which is the Head of IT. Head of IT is a high-level, senior position in a company that involves people management and extensive IT expertise. They are responsible for meeting KPIs for staff productivity as well as system efficiency. More specifically, the position would entail seeing higher-level visions and their IT implementations. In this case, the accountant and the programmers will work together guided by the Head of IT to produce the final project. Head of It will also be the person who keeps the venture capitalists up to date with the project, including presenting the project plans and their possible returns on investment.

Regarding planning, the Head of IT will cooperate with a customer (either a potential user and the venture capitalists) and employees to discuss user needs, possible risks, ROI, technologies, and methodology. As a result, together, they will draw up a budget, sketch out the workflow and create a design. Therefore, the Head of IT, equipped with leadership, management, and communication skills, will lead and ensure that the project meets my (the manager) and the capitalists’ expectations.

The second position that would be appropriate is an accounting position. As the project is an accounting app that stores and advises children on finances as a game, an accountant will be cruel for writing simple reports that children can understand and coming up with relevant fun games that teach the users. Accountants create and review financial records to ensure accuracy and timely payment of taxes. About the program parameters, the accountant in this project is responsible for coming up with a specific report structure generated when a report parameter is required, which determines whether to create a report showing the results of the Subledger Accounting program in summary or detail format based on the client. In terms of skills, good computer skills are essential, as accountants will need to know how to use a variety of software and be familiar with computer macros, which will make creating reports much more efficient. Another vital talent, in my opinion, is the capacity to work both independently and as part of a team.

The third and four positions belong to programmers that will bring the project to life. When a clear strategy and design are ready, the back-end and front-end are responsible for the prototyping and development process (the design is converted into a functioning system). The developers write and compile the code, install necessary environments, prepare test cases, integrate all the features, and refine the program. As our project is built using an android studio, programmers (Android Developers) should have the essential skills like an unparalleled knowledge of Java and Kotlin. In addition, knowledge of Syntax is preferred, and a vital sense of the UX/UI as most app users demand a highly engaging and responsive application that is easy to use. Furthermore, experience in the gaming world and critical thinking are essential skills I will look for in my programmers. For the project to succeed and provide the return the inventors expect, I need them to develop ideals to rank the app on the charts and make it user-friendly (fun for the kids).

As the manager, I expect the programmers to follow modern tendencies like the DevOps concept that implies continuous integration, testing, and delivery. This means that the software is built incrementally, beginning with the essential features. Due to this methodology, the final product will be well-designed and thoroughly tested, so a customer can quickly adapt and gain unique competitive opportunities in the market.

Moreover, I chose to have two people as programmers as this position is the most important for delivering the project outcome. Programming an app, let alone an accounting software with a game embedded is a tremendous job that requires more than one person.