Bettina Conradi

SourceBinder is a web-based visual authoring tool for prototyping Flash applications. Rudimentary nodes for the Arduino board, a microcontroller platform for easy coupling with sensors and actuators, are already implemented. Goal of the diploma thesis is to first evaluate SourceBinder itself and find major usability flaws. Afterwards new features for SourceBinder should be found, paper prototyped and evaluated with users. Afterwards extensions of SourceBinder should be programmed and tested. Extensions can for example include a larger Arduino node that has the looks of the real board, nodes for often needed Arduino functionality, integration of the Fritzing software, video functionality to share physical prototypes etc.

Goal of the project thesis is to evaluate needs of prototypers that use e.g. the Arduino hardware platform. Through analysis of blog and forum posts, public questionaires and structured interviews with selected users the student should discover WHO the users are and what kind of PROBLEMS they encounter when building physical prototypes. The focus is especially on the software side: Are the target users familiar with programming and what kind of problems do they face when beginning with programming. How do they overcome their problems (e.g. get help from domaine expert, use of new tools etc.). Special focus should also be the importance of communities for prototyping. When did they profit from the community and did they share their insights with the community?