Week 5: Design Phase (UML Diagrams and Wireframes)

When building a complex system like this bowling analysis app, having a clear visual representation of how everything fits together is essential. That’s where diagrams like UML and ER come in. These diagrams serve as blueprints, helping to map out both the overall structure of the app and how the database is designed to handle and store information.

The Use Case diagram provides an outline of how the system functions. It visually represents how different components interact, including how users will navigate through the app, how data flows between various parts of the system, and how features like video uploads, analysis, and feedback generation are structured. Essentially, it gives a clear picture of how the app operates when viewed as a whole.

On the other hand, the ER (Entity-Relationship) diagram focuses on the database. It helps define how different types of data are stored and linked together. For example, it will show how user profiles are connected to their uploaded videos, how analysis results are stored, and how everything is managed within Firebase. This ensures that data is organized efficiently and can be retrieved whenever needed without issues.

In addition to the UML diagrams, I also started designing a wireframe for the mobile application. The wireframe acts as a visual prototype of how the app will look and feel, even before the actual development begins. It helped me lay out where each element—buttons, input fields, data displays, and navigation tabs—will go, and allowed me to plan the user interface with clarity. It’s more like a blueprint, showing how the app will be structured across different screens. Sharing this with my supervisor helped spark a few new ideas, and I received valuable suggestions on how to improve user accessibility and flow within the app.

These diagrams are crucial for both development and future improvements. They help in planning the app’s structure before actual coding begins, making sure everything is well thought out and ensure that the technical development stays aligned with the intended user experience, and they give me a clearer roadmap for the next phases of my project.