Introduction

UCollab

UCollab is a web platform created for University of Cincinnati students pursuing degrees in Information Technology (IT), Computer Science (CS), Information Systems (IS), and other tech related fields. This platform streamlines the creation, discovery, and collaboration on software, app, and code-based projects, while also enabling feedback and constructive discussion between students. UC students can use UCollab to pitch new projects, find collaborators, receive mentorship from senior students or experienced peers, provide or receive feedback on developed work, or simply engage in discussions around project ideas and development.

UCollab offers features that promote project discovery, collaboration, and mentorship, all essential for IT, CS, and IS students. UCollab complements existing services like GitHub and Slack by allowing users to include GitHub repositories and their preferred communication methods in posts making it easier for users to manage projects and connect with their peers in a way that best suits their workflow.

UCollab is specifically designed for University of Cincinnati students, featuring project discovery filters based on students' skills, interests, and technologies used, along with a built-in comment system for giving and receiving feedback on their projects. These features make it easier for students to find teammates, connect with mentors, contribute to projects, and exchange feedback. What sets UCollab apart is its student-centered approach, offering a platform tailored to the unique needs of UC students in tech-focused fields, enabling collaboration that aligns with their academic and professional goals.

Project

Documentation

User Personas

Justin Time

About: Justin is a freshman at the University of Cincinnati. He moved to Cincinnati from out of state, so he does not know a lot of people coming out of high school. He’s majoring in Information Technology with no specified path yet. He lives on campus and has two roommates, but they are in completely different majors from him. None of their classes match up whatsoever. He also finds it a bit hard to communicate with people in person and tends to prefer virtual conversation. 


Problem/Solution: With Justin’s classes, he’s finding that he’s really struggling with his coding courses. But he can’t seem to find the courage to really ask anyone in person for help, including the professor. He feels stuck and at a loss. Justin would really benefit from a UC student specific site where you could collaborate.

Polly Noll

About: Polly is a junior at the University of Cincinnati. She is a Computer Science major. She does a lot of her classes remotely as she has a full-time job to help pay for her tuition. With this, she doesn’t get any face-to-face time with really any other students, other than the occasional mandatory presentation. She doesn’t visit the campus at all. 


Problem/Solution: Polly is getting farther into her degree which means that classes are getting a bit more involved. Polly has started to struggle a bit. She never found the Canvas community posts to be helpful because no one checks them. She also doesn’t like bothering Professors as she likes to have answers to her issues quickly. Polly also wishes she could meet more like-minded individuals. There are many projects coming up for her that require team cooperation. Polly would really benefit from a UC student website in which other computer science students and related majors can discuss and socialize.

Emily Carter

About: Emily is a junior majoring in Cybersecurity at the University of Cincinnati. She is passionate about ethical hacking and has completed several online courses, but she lacks hands-on experience in collaborative projects.

Problem/Solution: Emily wants to build a portfolio of projects to showcase her skills but struggles to find peers who share her interests. UCollab can connect her with fellow cybersecurity students for group projects, allowing them to work together on practical challenges, share resources, and enhance their learning experience.

Kevin Lawson

About: Kevin is a graduate student specializing in Game Development and Simulation. He is passionate about creating immersive gaming experiences but struggles to find other developers to collaborate with on projects.

Problem/Solution: Kevin has an idea for a game but needs artists and programmers to bring it to life. UCollab can help him connect with students across IT and Computer Science disciplines, enabling him to form a diverse team with complementary skills and work collaboratively on his project.

Class Diagram

Mockups

Color Schemes

Primary Color Schemes

  1. UC Red #E00122
  2. UC Black #000000
  3. UC White #FFFFFF

Secondary/Accent Colors

  1. Accent Dark Gray #333333
  2. Accent Light Gray #F5F5F5
  3. Accent Blue #0056A6

Neutral Colors

  1. Neutral Gray #666666
  2. Background Off-White #FAFAFA

Features

Project Creation

  1. Students can create project posts with defined types such as "Looking for Feedback," "Looking for Collaboration," "Seeking Mentorship," and "Discussion."
  2. Each post type will include relevant details, such as the project’s technologies used, linked GitHub repository, feature list, contact methods, and build/run instructions.

Project Discovery

  1. Students can find projects based on filters such as skills, interests, and technologies used, making it easy to connect with others who share similar goals.

Project Following

  1. Students will be able to follow specific projects to receive notifications on progress, discussions, and new contributions, ensuring they stay informed and never miss important updates on projects they are interested in.

Peer Feedback

  1. UCollab provides a built-in comment system, encouraging students to offer and receive constructive critiques on their work.
  2. For feedback-focused posts, the functionality is extended to allow users to leave ratings alongside comments, adding an extra layer of evaluation to provide useful feedback for the project.

Mentorship

  1. UCollab connects students with senior students or experienced peers, providing a space for mentorship
  2. Students can seek guidance on complex projects, receive advice on improving their work, and learn from those who have more experience in the field.

Profiles

  1. Each user on UCollab will have a customizable profile, showcasing their skills, project contributions, and areas of interest.
  2. This helps users connect with others who share similar academic and professional goals.

Notification System

  1. UCollab offers a real-time notification system to alert students when there is new activity on posts they follow, such as feedback received or updates made, ensuring they stay up to date on all relevant updates.

OAuth

  1. UCollab uses OAuth to authenticate users securely with their University of Cincinnati Microsoft credentials, ensuring a familiar login process for students within the UC tenant.