Challenge Overview
Challenge Overview:
Welcome to Topcoder Self-Service Prototype - User Scenarios Content Creation Challenge!
The purpose of this challenge will be to write the user stories of the new Topcoder Self-Service Prototype tool. We will provide an overview of the requirements for a new prototype of the topcoder platform to facilitate true self service, enabling an organization to launch challenges without significant intervention from the topcoder team (challenge architects).
This prototype will be largely based on the existing topcoder platform but will be stand alone and not connected to the existing platform. It will essentially be used as a demo tool and provide the basis for any future changes to the topcoder platform.
Note: Client will select winners not reviewers and they will not follow the scorecards.
The prototype project will cover two areas:
1- Improvements:
How can we improve the existing functionality and UX of the topcoder platform to facilitate self-service being mindful of "making it easy to understand the topcoder logic" from a customer perspective (a customer being an organization who wishes to undertake some software development). Launching a challenge should be as simple as clicking one button to get to the launch page, and then entering your details and clicking go. (Assuming billing already in place through an account - otherwise a payment/contact me screen after).
2- Being mindful of creating an onboarding process that is swift and as painless as possible.
Some thought also needs to be given to how this new self service environment impacts areas of the topcoder business, for example:
- There should be a 'sanity check' gateway procedure that allows the topcoder team to approve challenges before they are released into the community.
- We should provide an escrow account facility that allows customers to preload their account with funds to support challenges.
New features:
- We wish to introduce a few new features that enable greater use of the platform and community.
1. Sign-up Online:
Users will be able to sign-up online in order to use the topcoder community for development work. In order to run challenges in a fully self service way, they will be required to undertake a training workshop to understand the topcoder process for launching challenges. This workshop should become an online training guide in due course. Those that do not attend workshops or prefer not to can use the assisted service for launching challenges or they can enter their own challenges but then be subject to a 24-48 hour review period before approval to launch or required changes are given. So essentially they can skip a part of sanity check if they do this training.
2. Self-service Challenges:
There should be two approaches to the UI depending on the client’s desired complexity. The first is a UI similar to that which is currently available to Appirio Challenge Architects will be made available to users to launch challenges. Once they launch challenges this will go into a queue for the Appirio team to sanity check before publishing to the community.
The second is a very simple interface designed for individual units of work more akin to the freelancer approach of launching challenges.
3. User Accounts:
Any user should be able to set up an account with some kind of billing method (see payment processing below) and then be able to add additional users and also switch ownership of the account and/or close it if desired. User accounts can have access to other accounts granted to them (e.g. Accenture and Deloitte both run challenges for client X).
4. Payment Processing:
Due to volume and value of transactions users are likely to undertake I would recommend implementing a Direct Debit Solution like gocardless.com. Any initial monthly subscriptions you might take via credit card for sign up online sales, but following on should be via DD. (for the prototype this need only be a dummy transaction process). Some kind of mechanism for “contact us” sales portal should be present too for larger volume clients / PO or Invoice based etc. e.g. up to $1000 dollars you can use cc (guarantee in T&C for money back on outcomes based model etc.)
5. Third Party Integrations:
The portal will integrate with a number of third party apps (eg. Dropbox, GitHub,ZenDesk, etc). This provides numerous benefits to use in terms of efficiency and easy of use, but also generates additional viral exposure for the offering for Appirio. For the purposes of the prototype we probably only need to generate a list of useful integrations on a screen and provide a short description of how this become useful to the topcoder platform.
6. Promotional Profile:
Things like bios, github profiles etc. for members should be obvious. Customers will have the option to create a public facing profile to promote themselves to the community and other customers. Both customer accounts and member accounts should be searchable. Eg. Members should be able to configure a profile for themselves that allows customers to search for members by skills for example. We should also take account for how members and customers might want to engage with the community or remain relatively Uncontactable. Partner is a customer and a partner?
7. Asset Library:
The asset library will allow anyone within the community to sell ‘shrink-wrapped’ code widgets & plugins. This would allow anyone to buy those assets to reuse in their projects. We’d also allow the seller to state whether the code could be adapted or re-engineered as part of a new challenge. We should also have gated access to this piece. Processes to be walked through for this piece - submitting to the asset library, how do I buy something from the library.
8. Front Page (not logged in):
Sign in place. This should highlight four different areas - the community portal link, the client running work link, the marketing content (conferences), learning content. Tell me about topcoder. Blog, twitter
9. Community views into challenges:
Searching, filtering, how to find them, what a challenge looks like when it’s live etc.
Content Requirements:
- We need you to read the textual descriptions above of the new topcoder tool and write down a list of user stories.
- A user story is a description consisting of one or more sentences in the everyday or business language of the end user or user of a system that captures what a user does or needs to do as part of his or her job function.
- A user story captures the 'who', 'what' and 'why' of a requirement in a simple, concise way.
- A user story encapsulates the action of one function.
- So for each user story for each described feature above we need you to write:
-- Who is the user; user role.
-- What will user do.
-- Why will user do it.
- Use simple language.
- It’s important you communicate on this challenge. You are encouraged to go to the forum and ask questions.
- The document you generate should be well organized.
Target Audience:
- Appirio and Topcoder potential customers.
Judging Criteria:
- Completeness of the requirements.
- Well written English (no grammar errors).
Final Submission Guidelines
What to submit?
ZIP file with MS Word document, rtf, txt or pdf.