MailMed A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of The requirement for the degree of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Computing and Information Technology The Queen’s University of Belfast By Shea McAuley 1 5 th March 2021 ii Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge those who played a role in my academic accomplishments. Firstly, Angela Allen who has been extremely helpful in mentoring me through my final year of university. ENEA Openwave, who hired me for my placement yea r, and encouraged my prof essional and technical skillsets to flourish. Finally, my parents, James McAuley and Linda McDermott, who have provided support when it has been needed. iii Abstract Shea McAuley 40183513 This project was aimed at the creation of a softwa re solution which would provide access to prescription medication for those shielding due to COVID - 19 in Northern Ireland , primarily elderly and disabled users. The web app and accompanying dissertation were completed over the course of approximately six months, during which time both technical, verbal and time - management skills were utilised to deliver an appropriate solution. My first independent project of this scale, I am overall satisfied with the outcome, and I am thankfu l for the opportunity to develop my skills which i t has provided. iv Contents 1. Problem Specification ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 1 1.1 Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 1 1.2 Problem Domain ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 1 1.3 Current Systems in Use ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 3 1.4 Social and Ethical Considerations ................................ ................................ ......................... 5 1.5 Target Audience ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 6 1.5.1 Primary Target Audience ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 6 1.5.2 Secondary Target Audience ................................ ................................ ............................... 6 1. 6 Proposed Solution ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 7 2. Software Lifecycle, Verification and Validation ................................ ................................ ............ 7 2.1 Introduction to the Solution ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 7 2.2 Justification for the Solution ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 9 2.3 Software Lifecycle ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 10 2.4 User Requirements ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 12 2.4.1 Order Safeguards ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 14 2.4.2 Voice Commands ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 16 2.4.3 Text - to - Speech ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 17 2.4.4 High Contrast ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 18 2.4.5 Zoom ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 19 2.5 Data Design ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 20 2.5.1 SQL Database ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 20 2.5.2 API Data ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 21 2.5.3 Local Data ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 22 2.6 System Architecture ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 22 2.7 Testing Strategies ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 23 2.7.1 User Testing ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 24 2.7.2 Accessibility Testing ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 25 2.7.3 Known Bugs ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 26 3. User Interface Design and Implementation ................................ ................................ ................ 27 3.1 Introduction to the User Interface ................................ ................................ .......................... 27 3.2 Colour ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 28 3.3 Font ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 29 3.3.1 Logo ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 30 3.3.2 Text ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 30 v 3.4 Layout ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 31 4. Critical Reflec tion ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 32 Appendix A: User T esting Form ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... v Appendix B: Manual Functional Testing Suite ................................ ................................ ................ vii Appendix C: Data Flow Diagram ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... viii Appendix D: System Specification and Tools ................................ ................................ .................. ix Appendix E: Initial Mock - Up Designs ................................ ................................ ................................ xi Appendix F: Prototype Des igns ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... xii Appendix G: Final Design ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. xiii Appendix H: Additional User Requirements Documentation ................................ ....................... xiv Appendix I: Additional Testing Strategies ................................ ................................ ........................ xx Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 1 of 3 0 1. Problem Specification 1.1 Introduction The COVID - 19 pandemic and its resulting lockdown restrictions in Northern Ireland have caused an unprecedent ed societal shift, which has forced us to reconsider the manner in which we interact with each other. These new restrictions are widespread , effecting both the general public and private businesses alike While th e public has been advised to s tay at home w here possible, businesses have introduced limits on the number of people who may enter the ir premises This new way of life has forced society to adapt , so that businesses can continue to operate, providing their customers continued access to essentials A t the time of writing, there have been 114,176 recorded cases of Coronavirus in Northern Ireland, with 20 87 deaths 6 48,028 total doses of the vaccine have been administered, as the rollout continu es (Google News 2021) Busines ses that are deemed “essential” by the Northern Ireland Executive have been permitted to remain open during the national lockdown, while others have been forced to close , to prevent the spread of the virus . Among those businesses allowed to remain open are food retailers, medical services, and pharmacies (NI Business Info 2021) Despite the permit of essential businesses to remain open, many members of the public have ceased visiting them This may include those in a “ clinically extremely vulnerable ” or “vulnerable” group , as outlined by NI Direct Government Services (NI Direct 2021) These groups are statistically at the highest risk of serious illness or death from the virus They are comprised of t hose with various health conditions, or those over the age of 70. For people in this category, a substantial risk would be taken by increasing the likelih ood of their exposure to the virus. People in these categories have been advised by the NI government to practice “shielding” – a term used to describe staying at home to minimise contact with other people (NI Direct 2021) For these people , access to necessities has been drastically reduced The inability of those shielding t o leave their homes has placed a barrier between them and the businesses they rely on to supply their necessities. 1.2 Problem Domain There is a direct correlation between age and risk of serious illness or death from COVID - 19 (Cent ers for Disease Control and Prevention 2021) Those aged 75 and over are at the highest risk from the virus, accounting for 74% of the COVID - 19 related deaths in the UK (Office for National Statistics 2021) As a result, this age group is the least comfortable with Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 2 of 3 0 leaving home, with only 28% rep orting that they were “comfortable” or “very comfortable” doing so (Office for National Statistics 2020) For those shielding, access to essentials such as g roceries and medication has been severely impacted. The option of visiting a physical business premises is no longer available to them , extremely limiting their ability to obtain necessities In response to this, the government has advised that those shiel ding ask friends and fa mily members to deliver their shopping (NI Direct 2021) However, this solution presents its own problem s. Namely, it presumes that the shielding person has access to close by friends or relatives who are not also sh ielding. In the absence of this assistance , the shielding person remains vulnerable. The reliance on the friends or family of an individual leaves room for neglect In the event that this kind of help is unavailable, it has been advised by the UK government to seek out local charities to help with delivery , or avail of a shop’s delivery service (GOV UK 2021) There is no further government guidance o n the issue if none of these options are possible Pharmacies are o ne of the types of business that is considered essential by the NI government and permitted to remain open during lockdown (NI Business Info 2021) There were 552 registered pharmacies in Northern Ireland as of 31 st March 2020 (Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland 2020) , ranging from established pharmacy chains such as Boots , to smaller independent businesses like Stranmillis Pharmacy The NHS has set out guidelines for pharmacies on the delive ry of prescriptions during the ongoing lockdown period (NHS 2020) These guidelines state that if an individual does not have access to a person who can collect and deliver their prescription, the pharmacy should adopt the resp onsibility of delivery. The guidelines suggest three different methods of delivery for pharmacies : • Delivering the prescription directly to the individual • Requesting for another pharmacy to deliver the prescription • Transferring the prescription to another p harmacy who can dispense and deliver it Th ese suggestions also present several issues. While most corporate pharmacies such as Lloyd’s Pharmacy provide a prescription delivery service (Lloyd's Pharmacy 2020) , these services have seen an overwhelming surge in demand since the beginning of the pandem ic , putting immense strain on pharmacies to distribute medication on an unprecedented scale (ITV News 2020) . Furthermore, many smaller independent pharmacie s typically have no delivery infrastructure whatsoever with which to di stribute medication to their customers, resorting to outsourc ing the task of delivery to their already strained corporate counterparts. Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 3 of 3 0 Another option might be an online pharmacy such a s Pharmacy2U or Doctor4U. Such services operate by ordering a prescription on behalf of a patient from a GP and , once verified, dispensing their own medication which they deliver to the customer. As previously alluded to, many charities and volunteer ser vices have b egun their own independent delivery services to try to ameliorate some of the burden on pharmacies and other essential businesses. These charities are aimed at connecting those shielding with volunteers who can pick up their necessities, a mode l proven pop ular by fast - food delivery apps such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats. The NHS has also set out guidelines on collecting a prescription on behalf of someone else (NHS 2020) There are three main criteria which must be me t for this to be permitted : • The owner of the prescription has consented • In some cases, the elected person confirms their name, address & postcode • In some cases, the elected person presents I.D. Collecting a pre scription on someone else’s behalf serves a du al purpose. It reliev e s not only the responsibility o f the shielding person to collect their own prescription, but also the burden on the pharmacy to make special arrangements for its delivery - t h e ability to collect someone else’s prescription effectivel y solves the problems of both parties involved. 1.3 Current Systems in Use The first type of system investigated considers pharmacy delivery services, as they relate to the NHS guidelines on prescription delivery described in 1.2 Proble m Domain While concept ual problems with this type of system were broadly outlined , specific examples will be explored in this section. Though there are several existing prescription delivery services available from corporate pharmacies with branches in Northern Ireland, many o f these pharmacies including Lloyd’s Pharmacy and Boots only offer their delivery services to customers who reside in, or are registered with a GP in England (Lloyd's Pharmacy 2021 ) (Boots 2021) . Th e official NHS app also offers a prescription delivery service H owever , in addition to the available delivery locations being limited to pharmacies, this service is also exclusive to those registered wit h a GP in England (NHS 2 020) , (NHS 2020) These services are not of use to those residing in Northern Ireland. Another type of business investigated in this category was online pharmac ies. Two of the largest discovered were Pharmacy2U and Doctor4U. U nlike previously mentioned corporate pharmacies, these services offer delivery anywhere in the UK (Pharmacy2U 2021) (Docto r4U 2021) , meaning they are available to residents of in Northern Ireland Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 4 of 3 0 Although Pharmacy2U and Doctor4U are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council , who oversee standards for UK pharmacies (General Pharmaceutical Council 2021) , they remain vulnerable to exploits For example. i t was discov ered that users of Doctor 4U were able to order unlimited numbers of medication to the same address by using different accounts (The Guardian 2018) Though this particular issue has since been rectified, it serves to demonstrate that even the most reputable online pharmacies may not be as trustwo rthy as they seem Many other online pharmacies lack such regulatory oversight altogether. These pharmacies use a loophole in legislation which allows them to use less stringent EU - based doctors to prescribe medication (Scott McDougall, GP Online 2019) , (Care Quality Commission 2017) Therefore, those seeking to order prescriptions online must be discerning about which online pharm acy they use . A ccording to the NH S, many online pharmacies are unregulated, and buying from them i s unsafe (NHS 2018) Users of online pharmac ies are encouraged to look them up on the GPhC register as their only mitigation agai nst this danger (Scott McDougall, GP Online 2019) – a potentially difficult task for the less tech nically able among them , especially those older adults who are the most likely group to shield and therefore to wa rrant the use o ne of these prescription d elivery services Without this crucial medical oversight, users could be putting their health in danger by, if unintentionally, circumventing precautionary protocols in allowing an online pharmacy to place prescription orders on t heir behalf. The second type of system inves tigated considers volunteer services , which avail of the NHS guidelines on collecting a prescription on someone else’s behalf outlined in 1.2 Problem Domain Volunteer services such as NHS Volunteer Responders ha ve been set up with the goal of connecting those shielding with volunteers, offering additional services such as grocery shopping and mental health support. However, similarly to Boots and Lloyd’s Pharmacy’s delivery services, this service is also availabl e only in England (NHS Volunteer Responders 2021) In researching similar services in Northern Ireland, Community NI and Volunteer Now stood out as two of the main volunteering organisations (Communi ty NI 2021) , (Volunteer Now 2021) . These websites aggregate volunteer services and opportunities in Northern Ireland. Though prescription delivery services can be found, they are often localised to small towns or districts of Northern Ireland. Finding a service available in one’s local area requires sifti ng through dozens of disparate community charities in hope to find one nearby. These few - steps - removed services are generic in their scope and abstract away from the fundament al user goal of obtaining a prescription. Finally , the user interfaces of each website appear Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 5 of 3 0 clu ttered, potentially alienating the older age group which is the most likely to require their services 1.4 Social and Ethical Considerations This section will con sider several social and ethical aspects raised in 1.2 Problem Domain and 1.3 Current Systems in Use. The first issue pertains to the exploitation of prescription delivery services raised in 1.3 Current Systems in Use. In the Doctor4U example given, lax s ecurity measures allowed users to game the system , ordering excess amounts of drugs to the same address using different accounts This lack of proper checks conducted resulted in the system being misused, causing harm to users. It can be concluded that t he process of attaining prescription medicine from an online service must be tightly regulated to prevent against exploitation which would enable this kind of po tential for harmful use The next issue considers the issue of shielding raised in 1.2 Problem Domain. With national lockd own restrictions ongoing, additional precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of those engaging in social interactions. Several measures have been put in place by the government such as mandated mask - wearing and prohibition of soci al gatherings excee ding a given number of people . However, these measures are not followed by all. It is important for services which invite relatively close proximity between people to stress these rules. This is applicable to both prescription delivery services and volunteer servi ces mentioned in 1.3 Current Systems in Use. One such example of the support of government - introduced restrictions by businesses may be from the previously evoked delivery service Deliveroo, which has introduced “contact - free delivery” to their platform (Deliveroo 2020) This initiative instructs delivery drivers to leave user’s orders on their doorst ep before retreating to their vehicle and messaging the user that they have dropped off their order, eschewing the p rior practice of handing the order to customer at the door. This practice, in addition to advised mask - wearing and hand - washing, ensures the safety of both the delivery driver and the user of the service, increasing both party’s confidence in their continu ed use of the service and keeping the business going despite lockdown restrictions. It is imperative that businesses facilitating this kind of interaction adapt to lockdown restrictions by put ting similar measures in place. The final issue being considered relates to volunteering services, such as those highlighted in 1.3 Current Systems in Use , which provide services such as the delivery of groceries Any organisation which enlists volunteers to engage with members of the public , especially vulnerable adults, must be vigilant about the procedures by which those volunteers are vetted. This is ordinarily achieved through the practice of background checks , which investigate a person’s criminal record for convictions. Should an individual fail a background Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 6 of 3 0 check, they are prohibited from this kind of sensitive role. This practice is put in place to maximise the safety of those engaging with a volunteer organisation’s services In Northern Ireland, the national standard for background checks come from Access NI, who offer different levels of checks (NI Direct 2021) . Roles which require interaction wi th vulnerable individuals such as volunteering norm ally require an Access NI check to be passed as part of the recruitment process. 1.5 Target Audience The target audience will be divided into primary and secondary. The primary target audience will consider t hose who are shielding while the secondary target audience will consider those who are not Both types of target audience will be residents of Northern Ireland. 1.5.1 Primary Target Audience The primary target audience will focus on the older population ( ag ed 65 and over) who are statistically at an extremely high risk of hospitalization from COVID - 19 as compared to younger age groups (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2021) Within this will be those who have ongoing h ealth conditions or an impairing disability, whether it be visual, auditory, sensory, or other. These groups have been selected based on their high susceptibility to risk from the virus , high likelihood o f practicing shielding , and high likelihood of being on a repeat prescription for a health a fflic tion A persona for this group wil l be 70 - year - old woman who suffers from colour blindness and clinical depression They are on a repeat prescription of Citalopram, which they are accustomed to picking up from their local independent pharmacy. They have been requested by the government to st ay home as they are in a clinically extremely vulnerable group, meaning they are unable t o collect their prescription. The only pharmacy in their town is small and doesn’t offer a delivery service. Their close friends and relatives are also shieldin g They are frustrated with their situation and are seeking a simple way to obtain their repeat prescription, while remaining at home. They have limited experience with computers but have begun looking for a solution to their problem online. 1.5.2 Secondary Target Audience Conversely, the secondary target audience will focus on the 18 - 29 age group, for whom the risk of hospitalization is significantly lower (5x – 13x less than the primary target audience ) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 202 1) They will not be considered as having a serious health condition or disability , and they have not been requested by the government to shield They will be physically active and have little responsibilities or commitments . This group has been targe ted based on their relatively low risk from COVID - 19, physical fitness, and high availability. Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 7 of 3 0 The persona for the secondary target audience could be an outgoing single male aged 21 who lives alone . They enjoy going to the gym and staying active. They have been furloughed, and they are frustrated and concerned by their lack of income and inability to work due to lockdown restrictions They are looking for an activity which will allow them to leave their home and keep their spirits up during lockdown . They f eel their time is being wasted by staying h ome and want to be a part of something which will leverage their outgoing attitude and active lifestyle . They wish to provide a benefit to their community, and they are considering charity work or volunteeri ng. 1.6 Proposed Solution The proposed solution is a web application which will allow members of the primary target audience to plac e delivery orders from their local pharmacy , which will be fulfilled by members of the secondary target audience. The softw are will facilitate a connection between the two target audience groups by providing a mechanism for th em to communicate. The application will use the business model of services such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats, which outsource the task of delivery between the consumer and provider to a third party who acts as a middleman between the two. This model will al leviate the issues outlined in 1.1 Problem Domain surrounding shielding people’s limited access to prescriptions , and delivery of prescriptions by pharma cies In addition, it will avoid many of the issues in 1.3 Current Systems in Use , as it will only allow for the collection of medicines prescribed by the user’s GP which will be verified by their local pharmacy. Despite this, several checks will be implem ented to avoid the potential for exploitation and safety addressed in 1.4 Social and E thical Considerations. The software will be designed with the primary target audience’s usability and accessibility requirements in mind, both in terms of user interface and implemented functionality , as suggested in 1.5 Target Audience. This is aimed at being a self - contained user experience which will benefit both parties. The primary target audience will have access to their prescription medication while maintaining th eir shielding status, without the reliance on a friend, family member or pharmacy delivery service. Conversely, the secondary target audience will be able to carry out volunteer work during lockdown to keep active and provide a benefit to their community. 2. Software Lifecycle, Verification and Validation 2.1 Introduction t o the Solution The solution will be a piece of software in the form of a web app. The solution will be titled “MailMed” - a portmanteau of “mail” and “medicine” - as it will facilitate th e delivery of Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 8 of 3 0 prescription medicine to the user’s chosen address. The concept is inspired by that of apps such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo, which allow user s to fulfil other user’s delivery orders from businesses The user type designed for the primary ta rget audience (referred to as the “shielder”), will create a prescription order consisting of the prescription medicine and the ir chosen pharmacy This order will then be posted as a local delivery job, which the secondary target audience user type (“volun teer”) can se lect and carry out. Once the volunteer has selected a delivery job, they will be “matched” with the shielder Both users will then have the ability to communicate through a messaging service and track the delivery on a map until it has been co mpleted. When the shielder attempts to create a prescription order, several safety checks will be executed . Firstly, the medicine of choice will be checked against their recent orders for potentially dangerous drug interactions. Additionally, t here will be check s f or the number of orders made from the shielder account and the number of orders to the chosen delivery address. A signature will also be mandatory. If any of these checks are failed , the order will be terminated, and the shielder will be invited t o return to the main menu. Several accessibility features will be implemented to maximise ease of use for the primary target audience. This will include features such as text - to - speech , voice commands , high contrast mode and zoom functionality on images . These are aimed at accommodating for the user’s additional needs as they relate to age or disability. In addition to creating a delivery request, t he shielder’s homepage will have a few other options . T hey will be able to add a delivery address, set an order reminder, view their past orders, and modify their se ttings . From their settings menu and configure their text - to - speech and voice command options, turning them on or off. The volunteer, conversely, will be a user type based on the secondary target audience. They will be required to subm it an application fo rm includ ing a cover letter and Access NI check upon registration . Once they have been approved, they will be able to view and select nearby delivery jobs Their device’s location, once accessed, will be used to find nearby pharmacies a nd their respective currently available delivery jobs. They can then select a delivery job to carry out. This will “match” the volunteer with their chosen shielder, facilitating the ability to chat to each other and view the delivery on a map. For the volu nteer account, this will function as a “directions” screen, as opposed to the shielder’s “tracking” screen. Both will display a map with markers for the volunteer’s location, the pharmacy, and the shielder’s delivery address. Once the delivery is completed , the volunteer must submit a “proof of delivery” image showing the user’s package on their doorstep. Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 9 of 3 0 From their main menu, they will also have the options to edit their profile and view their past delivery jobs. From their edit profile page, they can edit their name and prof ile picture. Viewing past delivery jobs will show them all their jobs which they have marked as complete. 2.2 Justification for the Solution A web app format has been chosen with the aim of maximising accessibility to the platform , as it is not limited by hardware or software It will be desirable for accessibility to the web app not to be limited by these factors, as older or disabled members of the primary target audience may only have one device setup which they are comf ortable using. The availability o f the software on mobile devices is also crucial for the volunteer users ; due to their “on - the - go” nature ; they must be able to use the app while travelling to make deliveries. The delivery model that will be implemented h a s been chosen in consideration o f the dangers of ordering prescriptions online outlined in 1.3 Current Systems in Use and 1.4 Social and Ethical Considerations . Using this model, the user will not use the software to order a prescription , rather they will simply order its delivery from t heir trusted pharmacy, who will verify the prescription independently . This will allow the user’s trust to remain with their local pharmacy, alleviating any safety concerns associated with online pharmacies. Though this met hod leaves little room for exploi tation as compared to other online pharmacies, the potential for error on the part of the pharmacy cannot be ignored. For this reason, extra safety checks will be implemented in order to maximise confidence in the safety of the software. These checks will ensure that the user is unable to order unreasonably high quantities of medication using a particular account or address, and that medicines they order do not have dangerous interactions with each other. Finally, to further ensure the integrity of each ord er, a digital signature will be required. This has been decided based on the NHS guidelines on collecting someone’s prescription on their behalf outlined in 1. 2 Problem Domain. The accessibility features planned for the sof tware have been planned in accord ance with the primary target audience’s diverse range of disability types described in 1.5.1 Primary Target Audience. There are several types of disability the user may have which must be accounted for. Text - to - speech functionality has been planned as a n aid to users with a visual disability. This will lessen their reliance on the reading of on - screen text, allowing them the option of having the software narrate each visual element to them as they are hovered over. To f urther address this concern, high con trast and zoom features have been planned which will be applicable to images in the software, maximising legibility of text elements within images. Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 10 of 3 0 Lastly, voice command functionality will be implemented in order to pr ovide aid to users with sensory disab ilities. This will allow the user to interact with the software using their voice, eliminating the need for physical interactions such as tapping or typing which may be painful for the user The registration process fo r volunteers has been decided in cons ideration of the issues surrounding volunteering services elucidated in 1.4 Social and Ethical Considerations. The requirement of a valid Access NI check is aimed at ensuring the maximum level of confidence in volunteer s, as they will be interacting with p otentially vulnerable adults. 2.3 Software Lifecycle In consideration of the software development lifecycle model that will be used, it is paramount that model chosen is compatible with the requirements of the project. There were several desirable qualiti es considered in choosing a suitable model for the project. The chosen lifecycle should be iterative, accommodating for frequent user testing of each iteration so that development work remains user driven. This will ens ure that the target audience’s needs are met, by keeping these needs at the forefront of development. The chosen model will prioritise feedback and have the level of flexibility required to implement this feedback in the form of updates and new features. Furthermore, the model will not requi re a large number of people to work effectively. The project’s development will be carried out by one individual working with a small number of stakeholders, so it is important that the lifecycle can be feasibly enacted without the necessity of specialized team members or numerous outside influences. Finally, it is desirable that the developer has experience with the chosen model; the task of learning an entirely new methodology will decrease the likelihood that this me thodology is carried out effectively. Working knowledge of the software lifecycle will facilitate a smoother execution of the model, facilitating a higher quality of development work. Several of the most popular modern SDLC models were considered based on their compatibility with these requir ements. The list considered comprised the Waterfall Model, V - Model, Spiral Model, Iterative Model and Agile. Models which require all functionality to be known upfront, such as Waterfall and V - Model were immediately rul ed out based on their inability to ac commodate for changing user requirements. The remaining models were assessed according to their suitability in relation to the latter two requirements. Though the Iterative Model and Spiral Model can be practiced with f ew people involved, they are relative ly obscure in comparison to their competitors, and consequently experience is lacked in either. Conversely, Agile is one of the most widely adopted methodologies used by software companies, boasting a proven track recor d. Agile is the methodology which the developer has the most experience with. Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 11 of 3 0 While Agile appear s to be the most suitable of all choices, its disadvantages must be considered Its heavy emphasis on requirements elicitation relies on the stakeholder to have specific functionality requirements for the final product. Elderly use rs with limited technological experie nce in the primary target audience are unlikely to have such specific ideas . In addition, consistently changing requirements and subsequent creation of new development work can sometimes mean it is difficult to plan far ahead. This is not preferable for software which must be completed within a speci fied time period; appropriate planning will be crucial in delivering a solution within the given time frame It was reasoned that these disadvanta ges could be accommodated for. It is planned that t he development lifecycle will be executed with the understa nding that the stakeholder will contribute feedback for each iteration which will not necessarily include suggested features. These features will instead be derived through subsequent discussion between the stakeholder and developer , so the stakeholder may be given assistanc e in generating ideas for features and updates that will accommodate for their needs . Also, assuming strict organisation and a focus on time constraints, it was decided that the project could be completed to a satisfactory level, despite the sub optimal acco mmodation in Agile for long term planning. Agile has been chosen as the software development methodology that will be used to create the software solution. It was concluded that , out of all methodologies considered, Agile is the most closely aligned with t he requirements of the project. Due to its iterative model which priorities frequent user requirements elicita tion and testing, it is the ideal model for highly user - focused software, which will be key in addressing the target audience’s needs . In addition , it does not require a large team of individuals, each with a specialized skillset, or a large contingent of outside influencers. Rather, it is scalable to the smallest of projects, fundamentally requiring only a developer and a stakeholder. This is congr uent with the limitations of the project, accommodating for them appropriately. Agile is the methodology with which the developer of the project has the most experience, having used it professionally with a small team. A positive experience and high level of confidence with Agile is possessed, and it is felt that it will be the most productive methodology to adopt Though Agile has been chosen as a broad software development methodology, it is important to specify the details of how it will be executed. It is planned that the Agile method will be conducted in two - week sprints, which will entail the following phases : 1. Requirements Elicitation 2. Planning 3. Design 4. Development Shea McAuley – 40183 513 Page 12 of 3 0 5. Testing A central tenet of Agile development is the reliance on “stories” wh ich describe small tasks that come together to form a piece of functionality or otherwise needed development work. Each “sprint” is planned according to the prioritisation of these stories and the capacity of the sprint to accommodate them. Development wor k will follow these procedures. There will be a heavy emphasis placed on user testing during the course of the software’s development. This will be carried out during the testing ph