COS 333 Project: Project Demo Information

Mon Apr 26 11:31:34 EDT 2004

Demos will be on Thursday May 6 in room 402 of the CS building. You should check out your equipment before then to make sure things work; bear in mind that the room may be in use some part of Wednesday May 5 for CS Affiliates day. I apologize for packing everything into one day, but I am squeezed on both ends.

We will provide a Windows 2000 machine with Office 2000, Internet Explorer 6, Mozilla Firefox, Java 1.4, and a network connection behind the CS firewall. If you want to bring your own laptop (highly desirable to minimize operational difficulties), you may need arrange for roaming IP from OIT, then notify csstaff@cs so they can put you in local databases. Don't leave connectivity to the last minute.

No matter what you plan, be able to keep talking even if something breaks.

As to content, the "trade show" metaphor is useful, but we are looking for more than just a glitzy demo. We're really looking for evidence that you accomplished something, that you learned something, and that you can present something clearly. You might think of

• a short introduction to what your system is supposed to do
• a quick summary of major features
• a demo of a small number (two or three?) of features; glitzy is fine but pick features known to work
• a brief overview of architecture, implementation, or how it works
• something that worked well or failed to work out or that you might explore if there were more time

Here are some minor suggestions that might help things go smoothly.

• Rehearse! Most groups in previous years have done well on timing things; keep the streak alive.
• Don't do a demo that requires a lot of typing or mousing; as you've seen in class, things sometimes go awry and audiences get restless while you poke around.
• Focus on a few representative things, whether features or details or interesting topics; don't get too wrapped up in trivia.
• Have fun. These projects are really interesting, and the enthusiasm of their presenters helps make that evident.

Grading criteria include the following:

• good organization of material
• clear overview, motivation
• good examples to illustrate the system
• system apparently works most of the time
• smooth presentation, with evidence of rehearsal
• stays within allotted time

I will bring a signup sheet for demo slots to class on Tuesday, and then post it outside my office. First-come, first-served. You are strongly encouraged to come to presentations besides your own.