Submitting Design Proposals

From Shadowrun: Awakened

The following document outlines the procedure to submit a Design Proposal for Shadowrun Awakened. But first, what is a Design Proposal?

Design Proposal

A design proposal is a comprehensive written document that seeks to outline a project need and the steps to obtain a desired result. It should include, at the very least, the following information:

• Introduction: A description of the current project need.
• Goals: What you expect to accomplish with your model.
• Solution Analysis: Explanation of the solution you have in mind. It should include sketches, class models, analysis of risks and benefits, and any other tools that might help you explain your model.

It has been established that in Shadowrun Awakened, in order to move forward with programming a new module or feature, a Design Proposal must be submitted, discussed, and agreed upon. This will avoid the hassle of programming without being clear on your scope, requirements, objectives, and goals of the feature at hand. This will also ensure that a new module or feature is developed always in conjunction with the rest of the project.

Submitting your proposal

Since this is an Open Source project with very little hierarchical structure, it means that in order to agree upon a Design Proposal, all members must be given a chance to have their say. In order to reach as many members as possible, you must first post your design proposal on the Sourceforge Mailing list. Here you will receive praise or criticism of your Design. Continue to revise it until there is a general agreement on the document.

Once there is a general agreement on the proposal, post it on the Forums in the corresponding Technology Board. You can either add the revised proposal as an attachment or paste the contents in a new thread. This will allow members who haven’t seen the Mailing List to check your design and give their opinion. As with the previous step, continue to revise your proposal until there is a general agreement on the document. When this happens, the thread will be locked, and this will be the final draft.

Regardless of whether you have submitted the Design Proposal to the Sourceforge Mailing List or the Forums, here are some tips for this stage of the project:

• Do not take criticism personally, as it is only meant to make your design better. The fact that people are taking the time to read your proposal means that they appreciate your contribution.
• Do not feel afraid to speak your mind. Just because you wrote the Design Proposal it does not mean you have to take all the criticism and agree with it. Your opinion is as valuable as all the other members. However, do not engage in senseless arguments. Be reasonable and flexible with your design.

Uploading your proposal

Once your proposal has been agreed upon, both in the mailing list and the forums, it is ready to be uploaded to the wiki. Select the appropriate category for your proposal, and submit it. If you’re not sure which category fits your Design Proposal, consult it with one of the Senior members. When uploading, follow the Wiki Submission Guidelines and the formatting page.