Orientation, Project Ideation and Specialism Mapping

Session Timeline

Learning Objectives

• Understand the aims and collaborative nature of the Industry Project module
• Explore successful examples of team-based industry projects
• Generate project ideas through collaborative group brainstorming
• Identify team technical specialisms and complementary skills
• Understand effective team composition and role distribution
• Map project ideas to team capabilities and industry domains
• Begin forming project teams with clear roles and goals

What is the Industry Project Module?

• Collaborative Teams: Work in groups of 3-5 students
• Open-Ended Projects: Teams choose direction and specialism
• Industry-Focused: Solve real problems with practical applications
• Professional Development: Build portfolio-quality team work
• Agile Methodology: Sprint-based development with regular reviews
• Real Collaboration: Version control, code reviews, team coordination

Why Group Projects?

What You'll Learn

• Agile Team Management: Scrum, sprint planning, daily standups, retrospectives
• Collaborative Development: Git workflows, branch management, pull requests, code reviews
• Technical Skills: Deepen expertise in chosen specialisms within your team
• Communication: Team coordination, stakeholder presentations, documentation
• Professional Practice: Industry ethics, legal considerations, accessibility standards
• Role Specialization: Front-end, back-end, DevOps, testing, design, etc.
• Conflict Resolution: Managing disagreements and keeping teams productive

Assessment Structure

What Makes a Project Industry-Oriented?

• Solves Real Problems: Addresses actual industry needs or challenges
• Practical Application: Can be deployed or used in real scenarios
• Current Technologies: Uses modern, industry-standard tools and frameworks
• Scalable Architecture: Designed to handle growth and change
• Team-Built Quality: Code reviews, testing, CI/CD pipelines
• Professional Documentation: README, API docs, architecture diagrams, deployment guides
• Ethical & Legal: GDPR compliance, accessibility (WCAG), security best practices
• Maintainable: Clean code, consistent style, well-structured for handover

Appropriate Team Project Scope

Example Team Projects: E-Commerce & Business

Technologies: React/Vue, Node.js/Django, PostgreSQL/MongoDB, Stripe, AWS

Example Team Projects: AI/ML & Data Science

Technologies: Python, TensorFlow/PyTorch, Flask/FastAPI, React, Docker, Cloud platforms

Example Team Projects: Mobile, IoT & Other Domains

Technologies: React Native/Flutter, Swift/Kotlin, Arduino/Raspberry Pi, Unity, Python security tools

Building an Effective Team

Ideal Team Size: 3-5 Members

Common Team Roles in Software Projects

Note: In smaller teams, members often wear multiple hats

What Makes a Successful Team Project?

• Clear Communication: Regular standups, shared documentation, defined channels
• Defined Roles: Everyone knows their responsibilities and deliverables
• Version Control Discipline: Proper branching, meaningful commits, code reviews
• Sprint-Based Development: Regular reviews, retrospectives, and adaptations
• Working Prototype: Integrated, functional system by end of semester
• Shared Ownership: Team takes collective responsibility for success
• Professional Documentation: README, setup guides, API docs, architecture diagrams
• Equal Contribution: Balanced workload with individual accountability

Part 2: Technical Specialisms & Team Dynamics

In This Part:

• Identify individual and team technical specialisms
• Understand different CS industry domains
• Learn how to align projects with team capabilities
• Create team skills matrices
• Define roles and responsibilities within teams
• Develop provisional team project proposals

What are Technical Specialisms?

Common Industry Domains

How to Map Projects to Team Skills

1. Audit Team Skills: What is each person good at? (Languages, frameworks, tools)
2. Identify Growth Areas: What does each person want to learn?
3. Match to Project Requirements: Does your project align with team capabilities?
4. Check Role Coverage: Can you fill essential roles (frontend, backend, etc.)?
5. Assess Feasibility: Can your team build this with current + developing skills?
6. Industry Relevance: Which industry values this project type?

Creating a Team Skills Matrix

This 4-person team has complementary skills covering full-stack development

Defining Team Roles & Responsibilities

Achieving Good Team Skill Balance

Essential Collaborative Tools & Practices

Team Communication Best Practices

• Daily Standups: Brief check-ins (What did you do? What will you do? Blockers?)
• Written Documentation: Don't rely on memory - document decisions, APIs, setup
• Code Reviews: All code gets reviewed before merging - improves quality
• Clear Commit Messages: Describe what and why, not just what
• Responsive Communication: Reply to team messages within 24 hours
• Constructive Feedback: Focus on code/ideas, not people
• Conflict Resolution: Address disagreements early and professionally

Git Workflow for Teams

# Feature Branch Workflow (Industry Standard)

# 1. Create a branch for your feature
git checkout -b feature/user-authentication

# 2. Work on your feature, commit regularly
git add .
git commit -m "Add user login endpoint with JWT auth"

# 3. Push your branch to remote
git push origin feature/user-authentication

# 4. Create a Pull Request on GitHub
# - Describe your changes
# - Request review from teammates
# - Address review comments

# 5. After approval, merge to main branch
# - Squash commits if needed
# - Delete feature branch after merge

Managing Common Team Challenges

Making Provisional Team & Project Decisions

Questions for Your Team:

1. Does everyone in the team have clear, distinct roles?
2. Do our combined skills cover the project requirements?
3. Can we realistically complete this in one semester as a team?
4. Is the project complex enough to justify teamwork?
5. Will this project help us develop new skills we want?
6. Is everyone excited about working on this together?
7. Can we break it into parallel workstreams?
8. Do we have a clear industry application/user benefit?

Before Next Lecture

1. Submit to Moodle (Required):
   • Team skills matrix (who's in your provisional team, their skills)
   • Provisional project proposal (1-page document)
2. Continue Team Discussions: Refine your team composition if needed
3. Research Technologies: Look into the main technologies your project will use
4. Read Agile Basics: Review Scrum Guide (link on Moodle)
5. Set Up Git: Ensure everyone has Git installed and GitHub accounts
6. Think About Feasibility: Can you build a "Hello World" version next week?