Requirement Doc for BikeQUEST - Draft 1 Handin 3 - aboutell - cs190 - 2.2.05 Overview: Riding a bike is patriotic. As American dependence on oil strangles our international policy, we see more and more citizens eschewing internal combustion engines (and hot, frustrating traffic jams) for the freedom and relaxation of self-powered vechicles. Though many bicyclists ride to work or for small errands, the route tends to remain the same; the rider will return to their starting point at the end of the trip. Because of a bike's limitations, it is much less likely that a bicyclist would use her vehicle to move from her house, or to visit a friend several states away. BikeQuest would cater to the growing market of bicyclists who would like to explore an area, but need assistance to get started. Often the best innovations are simply existing products that are combined with one another (for instance the clock radio and the camera-phone). BikeQuest would use the basic idea of MapQuest, and then build onto it the community-reference abilities of Amazon.Com referrels. Users will be able to search for a viable bike route given certain criteria, then post their review of the ride, and find other rides that similarly-minded people enjoyed. Human experience will be a large part of our capital, so we will want to lure the Providence Cycling community with useful features and innovative technological combinations. Target Users: Broadly, any bicyclists in the Southern NE area, but our interviews showed us that regular bikers break into some stratified groups: Racers - The most competitive and intense group. Very willing to pay large amounts of money for small improvements in comfort/performance ] Commuters - Not as interested in technical innovation, since they generally use the same route to get to work each day. Also, if they're chosen this activity because of budget reasons, they are not ideal end users Recreational Riders - Those who enjoy the act of riding in and of itself. Often spending extravegant amounts on their hobby, they are interested in being fit, being safe, and enjoying the ride. We will be designing largely twoards the first and third groups, because they have the most use for BikeQuest, and the most free capital with which to buy it. Feasability: I believe this project is incredibly feasible - the tough job will be constraining the size of the work, and getting the information capital (e.g. experienced riders' favorite rides and advice). Testing: We're not talking about a high-intensity program here - we need testing, but not nearly as much as, say, the project that tracks valuable assets in a building. Hardware: The program itself will almost certainly be web-based. We will have to connect the backend to the web representation, but users will expect to be able to access this resource online. Economic sustainability: I'd prefer a smalller, but continuing, subscription service (compared to just buying in). Not only does this have longer term potential, but gives us an incentive to dangle in front of riders whose experience we need (i.e. fill in your favorite routes, get 6 months free). One of our interviewees pointed out that enthusiasts would pay over $2K for a bicycle, then another $150 for helmet, $150 for shoes, $80 for team jersey, etc. In short, these people have a lot of money they can be parted with, if they think it will improve their ride. Basic Features: Ranking/referral system - User give feedback, a la Amazon.Com, as to how a given route performs. Different preference profiles - Could be as simple as Easy/Med/Hard, or Scenic/Urban, but the perfect 5 mile ride for one rider is not necessarily going to be right for all. Accessible UI - we have many different types of user, including the elderly - need to keep it intuitive Well-designed manner of recording routes and then displaying them during the ride. Sexiest solution is download to GPS-enabled PDA to track developing progress. Least technological solution is a print out of the route with instructions. There is a full spectrum of pros and cons for all solutions to this issue, and it will be a crucial decision to make. Optional Features: MapQuest style directions searching - After the interviews, I'm not convinced that this is a basic requirement. Users would get the most value out of pre-recommended routes from other experienced riders that share their basic riding attitudes. It is doubtful that a user is crying out to be able to find a route that speciofically passes through 163 Strong Avenue (for example) before returning. I think that the mapQuest use of this program will be largely useful for aiding the description of goood routes. Emergency routes - give a handful of turn-back points that allow user to easily return to beginning (or public transport, or hospital) in case of injury/equipment failure. Individual user profiles - would allow users to trade information based on their published profile - could allow users to find the right partner fit for them even quicker. Progress tracker - Set goal, such as "Be able to bike a marathon by July 15th". The program would create a schedule to follow and the user could input and track their training progress. Assumptions: We will assume all serious riders have a bike computer (small device that says how far one has traveled and at what speeds - $25 in most stores). Obstacles - Dearth of information on Providence bicycle paths. - Same for information about riding (e.g. how to improve/condition, safe behaviour, etc) - Most riders do not have a PDA with them while riding - this is also very dangerous (to read and ride).