How do you choose a problem domain for your object oriented design project?

1 Identify your goals and audience

Before you start brainstorming ideas for your problem domain, you need to clarify your goals and audience for your project. What are you trying to achieve with your project? Is it to demonstrate your proficiency in object oriented design, to solve a real-world problem, or to explore a new concept or technology? Who are you designing your project for? Is it for yourself, for a potential employer, or for a specific user group? Answering these questions will help you narrow down your scope and focus on the most relevant and meaningful problem domains.

2 Find inspiration and sources

Once you have defined your goals and audience, you can start looking for inspiration and sources for your problem domain. You can use various methods to find ideas, such as browsing online platforms, reading books or articles, conducting surveys or interviews, or observing existing systems or products. You can also combine different domains or aspects to create a unique or novel problem domain. For example, you can design a project that applies object oriented design principles to a domain that is typically not associated with it, such as music, art, or sports.

3 Evaluate and select your problem domain

Once you have generated a list of possible problem domains, you need to evaluate and select the best one for your project. To help with this decision, consider criteria such as interest, relevance, feasibility, originality, and value. How interested are you in the problem domain? How relevant is it to your goals and audience? Will it showcase your skills and knowledge? Is it feasible to implement? How original is it? How valuable is it for yourself or others? By applying these criteria, you can compare and rank your problem domains and choose the one that best suits your project.

4 Define and refine your problem statement

Once you have chosen your problem domain, you need to define and refine your problem statement. A problem statement is a clear and concise description of the problem that your project will address, the goals that your project will achieve, and the scope that your project will cover. A good problem statement will help you guide your object oriented design process and communicate your project to others. You can use the following template to write your problem statement: The problem of [describe the problem] affects [describe the target audience], the impact of which is [describe the consequences]. A successful solution would [describe the goals] within [describe the scope]. For example, if your problem domain is designing a fitness app for beginners, your problem statement could be: The problem of finding a suitable and personalized fitness program affects beginners who want to start exercising, the impact of which is low motivation and high dropout rates. A successful solution would provide a user-friendly and adaptive fitness app that recommends and tracks exercises based on the user's goals, preferences, and progress within the domain of mobile applications. You can refine your problem statement by revising and improving it based on feedback, research, or testing.

5 Document and present your problem domain

The final step is to document and present your problem domain to others. You can use different formats and tools to document your problem domain, such as diagrams, models, reports, or slides. You can also use different methods and channels to present your problem domain, such as online platforms, portfolios, blogs, or videos. The main purpose of documenting and presenting your problem domain is to demonstrate your understanding and application of object oriented design principles, as well as to showcase your creativity and problem-solving skills.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?