Brainstorming and Prototyping Experience
In this journal entry, reflect on your experiences with brainstorming your idea, developing your prototype, and presenting your work to others.
Brainstorming Process
How did you generate and refine your research idea?
- I started with the observation that web tracing and user interaction monitoring lacks transparency. The initial concept was to create a tool that visualizes what data is being collected on web pages and also summarizes it in real-time.
What techniques or approaches did you use for brainstorming?
- Sketched wireframes on figma for the extension UI
- Researched existing browser extension architectures
- Mapped out the data flow from content script → popup → backend
How did your idea evolve from your initial concept?
- Started with just a file and each version summarizer → evolved into a extension which provides chat features to find out changes, contributions and compare different version in the document to get changes.
What feedback did you receive and how did it shape your thinking?
- I got alot of feedback regarding the usuability of my tool. Many of the professors talked about not having a tool that does what is already done but instead a tool which will actually streamline the process. For
Prototyping Experience
What was your approach to building the prototype?
- Built incrementally: first the content script to capture version, then the popup UI for visualization, and finally the Node.js backend for data persistence. Used a client-server model to separate concerns.
What challenges did you encounter during development?
- Content script injection timing and permissions
- CORS issues between extension and backend server
- Managing state across popup and background scripts
What successes or breakthroughs did you experience?
- Successfully implemented real-time data collection using Chrome’s DOM APIs. Backend integration worked smoothly with Express.js. The separation of concerns made code maintainability easier. Both popup interfaces provide good UX for different workflows.
How did the actual prototype differ from your initial plans?
- Originally planned a simpler extension without backend storage. The addition of the backend increased complexity but significantly improved functionality.
Presentation Experience
How did you prepare for presenting your work?
- Created well readable slides. Tested the full workflow (backend setup → extension loading → data collection) multiple times.
What went well during the presentation?
- The architecture diagram showing how components interact was well-received. Live demonstration of the extension collecting data was cool. People really liked the collaborative features in the popup.
What would you improve about your presentation?
- I could have spent more time on the motivation and use cases. Also, I should have anticipated more questions about privacy and security implications.
What questions or feedback did you receive?
- A lot of feedback on the reasoning of the design choices. Suggestions for additional features like export options and integration with other tools.
How did presenting your work help you understand it better?
- Presenting forced me to clearly articulate the problem I am solving and how my solution works. It also helped me find areas where I needed to deepen my understanding, such as the AI agent architecture and how to handle user data securely.
Lessons Learned
What did you learn about the research process?
- User experience extends beyond features to include installation and configuration. Testing with fresh eyes (someone unfamiliar with the project) can really reveal usability issues.
What would you do differently next time?
- Version the prototype earlier and get user feedback sooner
- Balance feature additions with stability
- Divide work into smaller, more manageable tasks
How has this experience prepared you for future research projects?
- I now understand the importance of architecture decisions early. Full-stack thinking is very very essential like not only did I have to think about the backend implementation but also how to make the frontend user-friendly. Also, having my tool be usable by others is crucial for getting meaningful feedback.
What are your questions or concerns as you look towards writing your report’s chapters?
- I am concerned about how to effectively communicate the technical details of my implementation while also making it accessible to a broader audience like I to make sure non-technical readers can understand the motivation and impact of my work without getting lost in code details.