Requirement Specification

[allanli4]

Problem Statement

People often face the dilemma of what to do with items still in good working order when they decide to upgrade their belongings. Storaging them would solve their problem for once but not for all, as limited space could quickly fill up. Meanwhile, people who are going to have long-distance moving are also likely to have a lot of stuff they don't want to take along with them. Although they could rent a bigger van, or pack a few more boxes and mail them, these small stuffs could not be worth the extra money that shipping them cost.

Proposed Solution

This application is a web service that addresses this dilemma by providing a platform for people, especially students, to post their pre-owned items online anytime when they have a product that is idled. Users can create a post that contains all necessary information about the product they want to sell, and share it with their friends or social media. They can also browse what other people are selling, and see if there is anything they need. Before a user decides to buy an item from another person, they can arrange all the transaction details within their private chat, like making a bargain.

Potential Clients

This application has the following potential clients:

• Students
• Homeowner
• General public who have needs for selling/buying pre-owned items

Functional Requirements

The application should have the following functional requirements:

• User Authentication
• Create user profile page
• Create post of pre-owned items
• Randomly browsing other's posts
• Search for items
• Private chat
• Rating system

Software Architecture & Technology Stack

Refer to https://github.com/cs421sp24-homework/project-team-05/issues/2

Similar Existing Apps

• Ebay
• Ebay is a similar platform that sells mixed items. Users could get either brand new or second-hand stuff from eBay at a reasonable price.
• However, the condition of the price is not guaranteed, the refunding and returning process would be a problem. Thus, we recommend in-person delivery.

[madooei]

Feedback on the Proposal

Problem Statement

• The problem statement identifies a common issue but lacks clarity and specificity. Consider refining it to better articulate the need for the platform.

Proposed Solution

• The proposed solution addresses the identified problem, but it's important to distinguish your platform from existing marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and eBay.
• Consider detailing how the platform will ensure the safety and security of transactions, especially with the recommendation of in-person delivery.

Potential Clients

• The target audience is broadly defined. Consider narrowing down the focus to a specific group, such as JHU students, to tailor the platform's features more effectively.

Functional Requirements

• The functional requirements cover basic functionalities but lack detail.
• You did not write them in user story format.
• You did not categorize them into nice-to-have and must-have
• The rating system is a good addition, but clarify how it will be implemented and used to build trust among users.

Similar Existing Apps

• The comparison to eBay is a good start, but consider analyzing more similar apps like Facebook marketplace and to identify gaps your platform can fill.
• Highlight unique features or approaches your platform will take to differentiate itself from eBay and other competitors.

[allanli4]

Problem Statement

People often face the dilemma of what to do with items still in good working order when they are preparing for a long-distance move. This is especially true for students who are only planning to live in their new location for a few years. The cost of shipping these items may exceed their value, but it seems wasteful to simply discard them in a junkyard. Additionally, for students who have recently arrived at their new location, it may not be worthwhile to purchase brand new items, and it can be difficult to acquire things from a distance without access to transportation. Furthermore, trading in person with strangers may raise safety concerns, particularly considering the crime rate in cities like Baltimore.

Proposed Solution

This application is a web service that addresses this dilemma by providing a platform for people, especially students, to post their pre-owned items online anytime when they have a product that is idled. For people who want to register an account, they have to pass the identity verification. Users can create a post that contains all necessary information about the product they want to sell, and share it with their friends or social media. They can also browse what other people are selling, and see if there is anything they need. Before a user decides to buy an item from another person, they can arrange all the transaction details within their private chat, like making a bargain. The buyer can prioritize deals within their immediate community. reduces the risk associated with transactions.

Potential Client

JHU community

Functional Requirements

The application should have the following functional requirements:

Must Have

• As a user, I want to be able to use JHED to authenticate myself to access my account, so my personal information can be protected from unauthorized access.
• As a user, I want to have my own profile page, so I can keep track of my account information and item status.
• As a seller, I want to be able to post items I would like to sell, so people in need can buy them.
• As a seller, I want to identify the buyer if we meet in person so that I know I am talking to the right person.
• As a buyer, I want to be able to search for items, so I can view goods I'm interested in in a quick way.
• As a buyer, I want to send a post when there are items that I want to buy but have not yet found online.
• As a buyer, I want to filter what's for sale in my apartment by different categories, so I can get it safe and easy.
• As a buyer, I want to collect potential items I may buy in the future and organize them in a wishlist.
• As a buyer, I want to have real-time private chat with the seller, so I can bargain or ask for item details.
• As a buyer, I want to rate and write reviews for the seller each time I make a purchase so other buyers can decide the credibility of the seller based on the rating.

  Nice to Have

• As a buyer, I want to see items near the my address on my homepage, so I can browse the items that are convenient for me to pick up.
• As a seller, I want the platform to send me a notification by text or email when buyers reach out to me, so I know someone is interested in my item.
• As a buyer, I want to make payments on the platform so I can purchase for items safely and efficiently.

  Silimar Existing Apps

• Ebay
• Facebook Market Place
• These two platforms do not target students, and they do not support apartment filtering
• We encourage in-person delivery

[Byuljapcho]

The updated requirement specifications seem good, please make sure to add the new user story of the buyer being able to easily express interest in the item (i.e. a click on "I am interested" that is displayed to the seller when they view the post on their end) as we discussed on Monday. Once that is added to the list of must-haves you can close the issue.