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📓 Team Week: Project Pitch

In the next course section, we will be working on group projects for the Epicodus Developer Trade Show to take place at the end of the section. In preparation, we'll take this coming section to generate ideas and sign up for teams, so we'll be organized and ready to go by the start of Team Week.

This time, however, things might be a little different than past courses. As we've been following our Professional Development Plans, we've been differentiating ourselves from our peers.

As you explore project ideas, be collaborative. Harness the strengths of your peers, and explore project ideas that might benefit from the diversity of knowledge that other students might contribute.

Additionally, because of how differentiated each student might be, team sizes might be slightly larger than in previous experiences.

Homework​

Generate an idea you would like to help develop into a working application. It could be a game, a new business idea, something educational, something fun, something to help others or something to change the world, an application or website a friend or family member could use, etc.

Past Student Work​

Ready to brainstorm? Here are a few examples of projects past students have built during Team Week. You're not required to choose from this list, of course (although you may, if something really speaks to you!), this is only to begin your own brainstorming:

Planning Activities​

Sites and applications that help plan:

  • Vacations
  • Camping trips
  • Road trips
  • Weddings and other events
  • Pub crawls
  • etc.

Lending a Hand​

Sites and applications that aim to help people out, such as:

  • Locate stolen bike
  • Reporting/searching for missing pets
  • Organizing/compiling resources for at-risk populations
  • Helping people prepare for/respond to natural disasters

Connect People​

Sites and applications that aim to bring people together, such as:

  • Helping musicians find other musicians for jam sessions
  • Locating puppy playdates
  • Dating sites of all varieties, themes, focuses and interests
  • Interest-based meetups and events
  • Communication tools, like chat rooms, web forums, and more
  • Virtual study groups and other learning tools

Games​

Playable games, for instance:

  • Text-oriented games like "Choose your own adventure"-style storytelling games
  • RPGs
  • Word and math games
  • Turn-based games
  • Oregon Trail-style side-scrollers
  • Digital versions of classic favorites like Clue, Poker, Magic, Chess, Monopoly, Breakout, etc.

Working with specific libraries, frameworks, or APIs​

Some students choose to work with specific libraries, frameworks or APIs to build out games, tooling, or an experience. There are so many libraries out there to explore! For instance:

  • Using Three.js to make a 3D model or experience
  • Using Unity game engine to make a game
  • Using music libraries or the Spotify API (or another service) to build out web apps that visualize, track, or make music.
  • Building a website with a new framework

Developer Tooling​

For instance:

  • A VS Code color theme or other type of extension
  • An npm package
  • A Discord bot
  • A browser extension

Tracking, Aggregating, or Visualize Data​

Applications that help track and manage data of some kind, such as:

  • Food diaries
  • Workout tracking
  • Mood trackers

Or applications that do something with outside data pulled from an API. Check out this list of APIs for ideas.

Productivity Tools​

Websites aimed to help make you more productive, like:

  • Checklists
  • Organizers
  • Note-taking tools
  • Crowd-sourced to-do lists, or grocery shopping lists
  • Point of Sale systems

Websites for Real People​

Additionally, past students have created functioning websites or applications for family and friends' small local businesses, including catering companies, dog groomers, and more.

Timeline​

Your instructor will give you exact instructions on how to share project ideas, where to sign up for teams, and team sizes. All students need to be signed up for a team week group by the end of this course section. If you have not signed up by the end of this course section, your instruction will assign you to a group.

Over the Weekend and at the Start of this Section​

Brainstorm and Share Ideas​

Start brainstorming project ideas now. At the start of this section, your instructor will provide you with a location to share ideas, either on a whiteboard in class or a spreadsheet online. Begin listing your ideas, and make sure you include:

  • A title
  • A brief description of the project
  • Your name

During the beginning of this section, ideas will be added and updated on the board. Feel free to talk to potential groups; and ask questions. We want you to sign up for a project you feel interested in and passionate about!

Half Way Through this Section​

Sign Up​

Your instructor will give you a sign up deadline. Everyone is required to sign up for a team before the end of this section. There is also a size limit to teams that your instructor will set. If a team already is at the size limit, it is full and cannot take on additional members.

At the End of this Section​

Confirmation​

At the end of this section, your instructor will confirm all teams have the correct number of members and an adequate project idea. If teams have too few members we'll help connect you with additional teammates, or re-arrange teams as necessary.

You won't begin working on your project until the next course section, but you're encouraged to trade contact information with your teammates and consider planning and brainstorming together outside of class!