AGATHE DELCOURT

As I mentioned in a previous post I am glad I have been able to make this year all about my passion for handball both within and outside the classroom. My interested for this subject helped me go through this massively complicated process that was the development of my app Collect.


I. Discover and define / People

Initially, I had various ideas regarding the path my project would take. But very early on I was able to narrow my focus and I reckon this is due to my genuine prior interested in handball as a sport. People playing handball are a specific user group I am very familiar with as I have been doing this sport for many years now, and I am so thankful for the help they gave me throughout this whole journey. Given my passion for the sport and the people involved in this team I wanted to allow my project to mold around this central theme.

Since my research was concentrated on a niche user group which I already knew well it was much easier to cooperate theoretically with my research. To further my research about handball, I wanted to improve my overall view of sports in general and I researched intensely about sports culture and technologies that are used for them nowadays.

This year, I have been the social events representative for my handball team and further, I have been volunteering during my free time as a handball coach in a primary school. This has helped me gain a new holistic and realistic insight into my handball experience. This crucial insight into what I really wanted to do essentially shaped my project.

I attended the different workshops and general talks held on first semester to aid our thoughts about process however by that time I was already certain about what I was going to do and I was well aware of everything I needed to know about before I began my project. Though, at this point my friends were still unsure about their projects and thus, this did instill in me a certain sense of uncertainty and apprehension. It made me question either it was normal I was so far on with my project at those crucial times of the semester.

Although I wish I had done more user testing and user-focused events with my handball team to gain more feedback and insights for the following phases of my project journey, I have been really satisfied with my user research overall this first semester. I am blessed I have been able to work with the most amazing people, who have supported my project from day 1, even in struggling times. I can say now that this semester of user focused research has given me the practical experience and knowledge I did not had when I arrived into this course, that I know I needed and very much enjoyed doing.


II. Concept design

Having played handball for so many years I know that from when I started (I was 12) to nowadays nothing has changed in the way small clubs practice and teach handball. National clubs might have technologies that help them track and improve the performance of their players, but clubs I have been playing for my whole life still write down on paper each player’s achievements during games. The problem is that handball is a really fast-paced sport with almost one goal a minute and many important actions in between to keep track of for coaching purposes.

This is what gave me the motivation and sparked my idea for this app. The route to the discovery of my project’s concept was definitely acknowledging this gapping hole in the processing of handball performances. I soon realised that a simple technology like an app was a great way to help local sports team (even other than handball) improve themselves by collecting data quickly and with little expense — or no expense. I sought to explore new technologies that would allow for smoother transition of the performances from paper to prototype in real time.

I feel like my app serves a genuine purpose in enhancing the handball sport in its entirety. Given that handball is not a very known sport in the United Kingdom, especially in Scotland, I believe that this app serves a dual purpose in informing the wider public about this sport; and my ability to do so throughout this project is very special to me and strikes a warm note in my heart.

This course has molded me into a more informed person who makes valued jugements because this whole process demanded high level of integrity and ethical reasoning which I believe is portrayed through every step of the way in completing my project.
Despite a difficult year during which I had a lot of lows, was really homesick a some point, questioned the quality of my project so many times and changed my outline in the middle of the year, I managed regain the confidence I needed to finish this project thanks to good tutorials feedback and the people I knew were genuinely interested in my project.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this process because it challenged me to constantly rethink the impact this app would have on the handball teams for which it is intended to benefit. I was afraid at times that this app would not meet its intended objectives because of the difficulty in not only hypothesizing it theoretically but in bringing it to life realistically.

This project and the development of my app has been holly rewarding to me not only on an academic level but on a much personal one, simultaneously.


III. Detailed design / Technology and Design

The most challenging prospect was definitely in coding. I was unsure about how to do a lot of it and was confused as to many aspects of it. Coding the entire app was not an easy task but I am proud to say I think I have accomplished it (through all the odds). I have unquestionably improved my skills html / css / javascript and learned about new platforms like Google Firebase which has been the glue that held my project. As a matter of fact it allowed me to create a realistic app I am proud to say is working and can be used as it is.

Even though I finally managed to achieve this project with success I went through a lot of self-inflected pressure and stress over this phase. The perfectionist that I am got lost numbers of times on details that I most of time haven’t even used in the final product. My tutors and friends from my user study group have been of great help in helping me re-focus on the important areas of my project.

On the design side of things, I wish I started the branding phase earlier in my process because it has been a real struggle to incorporate my design in my far-on coded prototype. However, I think the branding I made for my app turned out really well and really showcases the sporting side of my project. I certainly fell my brand image is as strong and important as the Technology and People in my journey and that is the reason I would give equal weightings for them.


Conclusion

Each phases of this project journey has been challenging in its way but I am proud I overcame the difficulties I encountered this year. At the end of the last phase of coding and designing process, I managed to persevere and did not loose hope in myself and this is exemplified by the successful achievement of my project which is definitely the most accomplished I have done so far in my life.

​

​