[Class Report] Introduction to System Development – Week 11: The First Step in App Design—“Think Before You Build”
After learning the basics of coding, functions, loops, and data handling, our first-year students are now entering the core of development—“thinking before building.”
This week’s theme is: App Design and Specification Writing.
■ Instructor’s Introduction: “Building Without Design Is Like Traveling Without a Map”
Mr. Tanaka: “Before writing a single line of code, you need to decide what kind of app you’re making, what screens it will have, what inputs it takes, and what outputs it gives.”
He illustrated the difference between “code with no design” and “code based on design” on the whiteboard. Many students nodded in agreement.
■ Exercise 1: Define Your App’s Purpose and Target Users
Students began by filling out a worksheet to clarify the app they want to create.
Worksheet Items:
- App Title
- Target Users (Who will use it?)
- App Purpose (What can it do?)
- Inputs (e.g., name, options, numbers)
- Outputs (e.g., results, scores, messages)
Student A: “A ‘Favorite Artist Diagnosis’ app sounds fun!”
Student B: “I want to create a ‘Career Navigation’ app for middle schoolers.”
■ Exercise 2: Write Out the Process Flow (Flowchart)
Next, students mapped out the sequence of steps their app would follow, using either a flowchart or a bullet-point list.
Example: Omikuji (Fortune) App Flow
- User enters their name
- Random fortune is selected
- Result is displayed as a message
Mr. Tanaka: “Just by planning this flow, you’ve basically finished half the code already.”
Student C: “Once I started, I realized how many steps there actually are!”
Student D: “It’s fun thinking about the best order to do things.”
■ Focus Time: Finalizing Their Own App Designs
In the second half, students worked silently to complete their design documents. Mr. Tanaka walked around the room, offering advice and helping students refine input-output relationships.
Creative ideas included:
- Question-based diagnosis apps
- Number guessing games
- Meal advice apps
- “Guess Your Favorite” chart apps
■ Instructor’s Comment
“Design time is thinking time. Code only does what you tell it to do—nothing more, nothing less. That’s why building the habit of thinking before coding is so important.”
■ Next Week’s Preview: Time to Start Building!
Next week, students will begin actual development based on the designs they created. Programming isn’t just about “writing”—it’s about “creating.” It’s time to experience that firsthand!
Programming is not complete with just “coding skills.” The ability to clearly define what you want to build and how is equally essential. Today’s class highlighted that vital skill of “design thinking,” making it a meaningful step forward in the students’ journey.