LAB SESSION # 5:

Exercise:
Objective: Apply context planning principles to design a social media platform, considering
stakeholders, requirements, dependencies, boundaries, and constraints.

Scenario: You are part of a software development team tasked with designing a new social
media platform aimed at connecting users with shared interests in various hobbies and
activities. The platform will allow users to create profiles, share content, join communities, and
interact with other users through posts, comments, and messages.
1. Draw a diagram representing the context of the social media platform, including
external entities, interfaces, and relationships.
2. List the stakeholders involved in the social media platform project, including users,
developers, administrators, advertisers, and regulatory bodies.

 Users
 Developers
 Administrators
 Advertisers/Sponsors
 Regulatory Bodies
 Content Creators/Providers
 Investors/Shareholders
 Customer Support Representatives

3. Identify and prioritize the needs and expectations of each stakeholder group,
considering factors such as usability, privacy, security, and monetization.

1. Users:
Usability: Intuitive interface, easy navigation, and smooth user experience.
Privacy: Control over personal information, secure messaging, and privacy settings.
Security: Protection against cyber threats, data breaches, and account hijacking.
Monetization: Access to a platform without excessive advertisements or intrusive
monetization strategies.
2. Developers:
Usability: Access to development tools, documentation, and resources to facilitate
platform development.
Privacy: Compliance with data protection regulations and guidelines for handling
user data.
Security: Secure coding practices, regular security audits, and vulnerability
assessments to protect the platform from cyber threats.
Monetization: Fair compensation for their work, opportunities for career growth,
and incentives for innovation.
3. Administrators:
Usability: User-friendly admin tools for managing user accounts, content
moderation, and community management.
Privacy: Access controls and data encryption to safeguard sensitive information
stored within the platform.
Security: Robust security measures to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches,
and abuse of administrative privileges.
 Monetization: Revenue generation strategies that balance user experience with
sustainable growth and profitability.
4. Advertisers/Sponsors:
Usability: Effective advertising tools for reaching target audiences and measuring
campaign performance.
Privacy: Compliance with advertising regulations and guidelines for user data
handling and targeting.
Security: Assurance that advertising platforms are secure and free from fraudulent
activities such as click fraud or ad injection.
Monetization: Transparent pricing models, return on investment (ROI) metrics, and
opportunities for ad customization and targeting.
5. Regulatory Bodies:
Usability: Access to platform data and transparency regarding platform policies and
practices.
Privacy: Enforcement of data protection laws and regulations to ensure user privacy
rights are respected.
Security: Monitoring and oversight to ensure platforms implement adequate
security measures and protect user data from unauthorized access or misuse.
Monetization: Oversight of monetization practices to prevent unfair or deceptive
business practices that may harm users or violate regulations.
6. Content Creators/Providers:
Usability: Tools for content creation, editing, and publishing, with options for
customization and branding.
Privacy: Control over content visibility, audience targeting, and copyright protection.
Security: Protection against content piracy, plagiarism, and unauthorized use of
intellectual property.
Monetization: Opportunities for revenue generation through advertising, sponsored
content, subscriptions, or other monetization channels.
7. Investors/Shareholders:
Usability: Confidence in the platform's potential for user adoption and engagement.
Privacy: Assurance that the platform complies with data protection regulations and
respects user privacy rights.
Security: Assurance that the platform implements robust security measures to
protect user data and maintain business continuity.
Monetization: Expectation of a return on investment through sustainable revenue
generation and long-term growth strategies.
8. Customer Support Representatives:
Usability: Access to support tools, training, and resources to address user inquiries
and resolve issues effectively.
Privacy: Respect for user privacy and confidentiality when handling support requests
and user data.
 Security: Protection against social engineering attacks, phishing attempts, and
unauthorized access to support systems.
Monetization: Alignment of support services with business objectives, customer
satisfaction metrics, and retention strategies.

4. Consider dependencies on external services, APIs, and data sources (e.g., user profiles
from third-party authentication providers, content hosting services).

1. User Profiles from Third-party Authentication Providers:

Dependency: The software system relies on external authentication providers (e.g.,
Google, Facebook, GitHub) to authenticate users and retrieve user profile
information.
2. Content Hosting Services:
Dependency: The software system relies on external content hosting services (e.g.,
AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, Imgur) to store and serve user-generated content,
such as images, videos, and documents.
3. Payment Gateways:
Dependency: The software system depends on external payment gateways (e.g.,
Stripe, PayPal, Braintree) to process financial transactions for premium features,
subscriptions, or e-commerce transactions.
4. Social Media Integration APIs:
Dependency: The software system integrates with external social media platforms
(e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) through their APIs to enable features such as
social login, sharing content, and accessing social graph data.

5. Define clear boundaries between the front-end (user interface) and back-end (server-
side logic) components of the social media platform.

1. Front-End (User Interface):

The front-end component comprises the graphical user interface (GUI) and client-
side logic responsible for presenting the platform's features and content to users.
 Technologies: Typically developed using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and
JavaScript for web applications. For mobile applications, front-end development
may involve frameworks like React Native, Flutter, or native development for iOS
and Android platforms.
 Responsibilities:
 Rendering user interface elements, including layouts, navigation menus, forms,
and interactive components.
 Handling user input and events, such as clicks, taps, and keyboard interactions.
 Communicating with the back-end server to fetch data and perform actions via
HTTP requests or WebSocket connections.
  Implementing client-side validation and feedback to improve user experience
and responsiveness.
2. Back-End (Server-Side Logic):
The back-end component comprises the server-side infrastructure and business logic
responsible for processing requests, managing data, and performing complex
computations.
 Technologies: Back-end development is typically done using server-side
programming languages such as Node.js, Python (with frameworks like Django or
Flask), Ruby on Rails, Java (with Spring Boot), or PHP (with frameworks like Laravel).
 Responsibilities:
 Handling authentication and authorization, including user login, session
management, and access control.
 Managing and persisting data in databases or other storage systems, including
user profiles, content, relationships, and system configurations.
 Implementing business logic for features such as content creation, community
management, notifications, and recommendations.
 Exposing APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to the front-end for data
retrieval, modification, and other interactions.

6. Identify boundaries between user-generated content and platform-generated content

(e.g., ads, recommendations).

1. User-Generated Content (UGC):

 Boundaries:
 Origin: User-generated content originates directly from platform users through
actions such as posting, commenting, messaging, or profile creation.
 Ownership: Users own the content they create, and the platform typically acts
as a facilitator for sharing and interacting with user-generated content.
 Moderation: User-generated content may be subject to moderation by platform
administrators or community moderators to ensure compliance with platform
guidelines, community standards, and legal requirements.
2. Platform-Generated Content:
 Boundaries:
 Source: Platform-generated content originates from automated processes,
algorithms, or content management systems managed by the platform
administrators or developers.
 Purpose: Platform-generated content aims to enhance user experience, drive
engagement, and support platform monetization strategies.
 Control: Platform administrators or developers have control over the
generation, placement, and presentation of platform-generated content.
7. Consider boundaries between user data and third-party integrations to ensure privacy
and security.

1. User Data:
 Boundaries:
 Ownership: Users own their data, and the platform acts as a custodian, processing
data based on user consent and in compliance with privacy policies and
regulations.
 Privacy: User data should be handled with care, respecting user privacy rights and
preferences. Access to sensitive user data should be restricted to authorized
personnel and purposes.
 Security: User data should be protected against unauthorized access, data
breaches, and misuse through robust security measures such as encryption,
access controls, and regular security audits.
2. Third-Party Integrations:
 Boundaries:
 Data Sharing: The platform should clearly define the types of user data shared
with third-party integrations and the purposes for which it is shared. Data
sharing should be based on user consent and controlled through privacy settings.
 Compliance: Third-party integrations should comply with privacy laws and
regulations governing data protection, such as GDPR, CCPA, or industry-specific
standards.
 Security: Third-party integrations should adhere to security best practices to
protect user data from unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security
threats.
 Transparency: Users should be informed about third-party integrations, including
the data shared, the purposes of integration, and the privacy and security
measures implemented.

8. Identify potential variations in user preferences, community interests, and content types
that the social media platform should support.

1. User Preferences:
 Language: Users may prefer content in different languages based on their location,
culture, or linguistic background. Supporting multilingual content and language
preferences enhances accessibility and user engagement.
 Accessibility: Users with disabilities may have specific preferences for accessible
features such as screen readers, alternative text for images, keyboard navigation,
and high-contrast themes.
  Privacy Settings: Users may have varying preferences for privacy settings, such as
controlling visibility of their profile, posts, and interactions, as well as managing
notifications and data sharing with third parties.
 Notification Preferences: Users may prefer different notification settings based on
their communication preferences, availability, and tolerance for interruptions.
Providing customizable notification preferences enhances user experience and
engagement.
2. Community Interests:
 Topic Diversity: Communities within the platform may have diverse interests
ranging from hobbies, sports, arts, entertainment, technology, politics, and more.
Supporting a wide range of community interests fosters inclusivity and
engagement among users.
 Geographic Communities: Users may be interested in connecting with others
based on geographic proximity, such as local communities, events, or regional
interests. Supporting location-based communities enhances local engagement and
networking opportunities.
 Niche Communities: Users may have niche interests or identities that require
specialized communities or support groups. Providing tools for creating and
discovering niche communities fosters a sense of belonging and allows users to
connect with like-minded individuals.
 Moderation Preferences: Community moderators may have varying preferences
for moderation styles, rules, and guidelines. Providing flexible moderation tools
and settings empowers moderators to create safe and welcoming environments
tailored to their community's needs.
3. Content Types:
 Text Posts: Users may share thoughts, opinions, stories, or discussions through
text-based posts. Supporting text formatting, hashtags, mentions, and rich text
editing enhances the expressiveness of text-based content.
 Images and Videos: Users may share visual content such as photos, videos,
memes, or GIFs to express themselves and engage with others. Providing tools for
uploading, editing, and sharing multimedia content enriches the user experience.
 Links and Articles: Users may share links to articles, blog posts, news stories, or
external content relevant to their interests. Supporting link previews, article
summaries, and embedded content enriches the diversity of content shared within
the platform.
 Polls and Surveys: Users may create polls or surveys to gather feedback, opinions,
or preferences from their followers or communities. Providing tools for creating
and participating in polls enhances user engagement and interactivity.
 Live Streaming and Stories: Users may engage in real-time broadcasting or
ephemeral content sharing through live streaming or stories features. Supporting
 live video streaming, temporary content, and interactive features enhances real-
time engagement and spontaneity.

9. Consider how the platform can accommodate customization and personalization

features to cater to diverse user needs.

To accommodate customization and personalization features that cater to diverse

user needs, the social media platform should offer a range of options for users:
1. User Profiles Customization:
 Allow users to customize their profiles with profile pictures, cover photos, bio
descriptions, and other personal information.
 Provide options for users to set privacy preferences, choose who can view their
profile, and control visibility of profile details.
 Enable users to add interests, hobbies, and preferences to their profiles to
facilitate content recommendations and community suggestions.
2. Content Preferences:
 Offer content customization options such as content filters, topic preferences,
and content discovery settings.
 Allow users to follow or subscribe to specific topics, hashtags, or communities of
interest to personalize their content feed.
 Provide tools for users to mute or block specific content types, keywords, or
users to tailor their feed to their preferences.
3. Notification Settings:
 Allow users to customize their notification preferences based on their
communication preferences, availability, and interests.
 Provide options to enable/disable notifications for various activities such as likes,
comments, mentions, messages, and community updates.
 Implement granular notification controls, allowing users to specify notification
frequency, priority, and delivery channels (e.g., email, push notifications).
4. Recommendation Algorithms:
 Implement personalized recommendation algorithms that analyze user
interactions, preferences, and behavior to suggest relevant content,
communities, and connections.
 Provide options for users to provide feedback on recommendations and adjust
their preferences to improve the accuracy of personalized recommendations.
 Ensure transparency and user control over recommendation algorithms, allowing
users to understand and influence the content suggested to them.
5. Theme and Interface Customization:
 Offer customization options for the platform's theme, layout, color scheme, and
font preferences to accommodate diverse aesthetic preferences.
  Allow users to personalize their interface by rearranging widgets, organizing
menus, and customizing shortcuts or bookmarks for quick access to favorite
features.
 Provide accessibility settings such as high-contrast themes, text size adjustments,
and screen reader compatibility to accommodate users with disabilities.
6. Community and Group Customization:
 Enable users to create and customize their own communities or groups based on
specific interests, topics, or identities.
 Provide moderation tools and customization options for community admins to
set rules, guidelines, and branding elements for their communities.
 Allow users to join, leave, or customize their participation in communities based
on their preferences for engagement level, visibility, and notifications.
7. User Interaction Preferences:
 Offer customization options for user interaction preferences such as privacy
settings, messaging preferences, and connection requests.
 Allow users to set privacy levels for their interactions, control who can send
them messages, friend requests, or follow requests, and manage their
connections and contact lists.
 Implement filters and moderation tools to manage unwanted interactions, spam,
or harassment based on user-defined preferences and thresholds.

10. Consider budgetary constraints, technology limitations, and regulatory requirements

(e.g., data protection laws, content moderation policies).

1. Budgetary Constraints:
 Prioritize Essential Features: Identify core features essential for the platform's
functionality and user experience. Allocate resources to develop these features
first, ensuring the platform's basic functionality is robust and user-friendly.
 Incremental Development: Adopt an incremental development approach,
releasing new features iteratively based on available budget and resources. This
allows for continuous improvement and adaptation to evolving user needs while
managing costs.
 Outsourcing or Partnerships: Consider outsourcing certain development tasks or
forming partnerships with technology providers to leverage specialized
expertise, reduce development costs, and accelerate time-to-market.
 Cost-effective Technologies: Choose cost-effective technologies, frameworks,
and tools that meet project requirements without unnecessary overhead.
Consider open-source solutions and cloud-based services to minimize
infrastructure costs and scalability challenges.
2. Technology Limitations:
  Scalability Planning: Anticipate future growth and scalability requirements when
designing the platform architecture. Choose technologies and architectural
patterns that support scalability, performance optimization, and fault tolerance.
 Compatibility and Integration: Ensure compatibility and interoperability with
existing systems, devices, and technologies. Choose technologies and standards
that facilitate seamless integration with external services, APIs, and data sources.
 Technical Debt Management: Manage technical debt effectively by balancing
short-term development speed with long-term maintainability and scalability.
Prioritize refactoring and technical improvements to address accumulated
technical debt and prevent future limitations.
3. Regulatory Requirements:
 Data Protection Laws: Ensure compliance with data protection laws and
regulations. Implement robust data privacy measures, including encryption,
access controls, data anonymization, and user consent mechanisms.
 Content Moderation Policies: Develop content moderation policies and tools to
enforce community guidelines, prevent abusive behavior, and mitigate risks
associated with harmful or inappropriate content. Implement automated
moderation tools, user reporting mechanisms, and human moderation
workflows to ensure compliance with content moderation policies.
 Accessibility Standards: Adhere to accessibility standards to ensure the platform
is accessible to users with disabilities. Implement accessible design principles,
keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and alternative text for images
and multimedia content.
 Legal Compliance Monitoring: Establish processes for monitoring and updating
compliance with regulatory requirements, including periodic audits, reviews, and
assessments of legal obligations. Stay informed about regulatory changes and
updates and adapt platform policies and practices accordingly.

11. Identify potential risks and constraints associated with scalability, performance, security,
and compliance.

1. Scalability:
 Risks:
 Inadequate Infrastructure: Insufficient server capacity or bandwidth may lead
to performance bottlenecks and system downtime during peak usage
periods.
 Poor Architecture Design: Scalability issues may arise from poorly designed
architecture, such as monolithic architectures or tight coupling between
components.
  Limited Resources: Budgetary constraints or technological limitations may
restrict the platform's ability to scale effectively to accommodate growing
user bases and increasing data volumes.
 Constraints:
 Technology Choice: The choice of technologies and architectural patterns
may impose limitations on scalability. For example, legacy systems or tightly
coupled architectures may hinder horizontal scaling.
 Resource Allocation: Limited resources, such as funding, infrastructure, or
skilled personnel, may constrain scalability efforts. Prioritizing scalability
initiatives and securing additional resources may be challenging.
2. Performance:
 Risks:
 Slow Response Times: High user traffic, inefficient algorithms, or database
queries may result in slow response times and degraded performance.
 Unoptimized Code: Poorly optimized code, memory leaks, or inefficient data
structures can impact system performance and responsiveness.
Network Latency: Geographic distribution of users and network latency issues may
affect the delivery speed of content and interactions.
 Constraints:
 Technology Stack: The choice of programming languages, frameworks, and
database systems may influence performance. Migrating to alternative
technologies may require significant effort and resources.
 Real-time Requirements: Real-time features such as live streaming, chat, or
notifications impose stricter performance requirements and may necessitate
specialized solutions to ensure low latency and high responsiveness.
3. Security:
 Risks:
 Data Breaches: Inadequate data protection measures, weak authentication
mechanisms, or vulnerabilities in software components may lead to data
breaches and unauthorized access to user information.
 Malicious Attacks: Cybersecurity threats, or phishing attempts pose risks to
system integrity, availability, and user privacy.
 Compliance Violations: Non-compliance with data protection laws,
regulations, or industry standards may result in legal penalties, reputational
damage, and loss of user trust.
 Constraints:
 Regulatory Compliance: Compliance requirements, or PCI-DSS impose
constraints on data handling, security practices, and incident response
procedures. Compliance efforts may require significant resources and
ongoing monitoring.
  Budgetary Limitations: Limited budget for security measures, such as
penetration testing, security audits, or cybersecurity training, may constrain
efforts to address security risks effectively.
4. Compliance:
 Risks:
 Legal Liability: Failure to comply with data protection laws, privacy
regulations, or content moderation policies may result in legal liabilities,
fines, or litigation.
 Reputational Damage: Non-compliance incidents, data breaches, or privacy
violations can damage the platform's reputation and erode user trust.
 Operational Disruption: Compliance requirements may impose operational
burdens, administrative overhead, or limitations on data processing
practices, impacting platform functionality and agility.
 Constraints:
 Regulatory Complexity: Evolving regulatory landscapes and diverse
compliance requirements across jurisdictions pose challenges for ensuring
consistent compliance practices and adapting to regulatory changes.
 Resource Intensiveness: Compliance efforts, including legal counsel, data
governance, compliance audits, and regulatory assessments, require
dedicated resources and ongoing investment.