UI Code Generator: A Web Application to Streamline Design of Prototype Applications with Proprietary HTML/CSS Frameworks; Anticipating Stakeholder Impacts of Potential High-Speed Rail Solutions in the Northeast Corridor

A financial services corporation in Northern Virginia found that the process of creating proof-of-concept prototypes for internal applications with a proprietary HTML/CSS framework was too time-intensive. Creating wireframes and prototypes are a critical part of the software engineering process across much of the industry, but existing industry-standard tools such as Figma are often too time-intensive or incompatible with specific firms’ use cases. These wireframes are often used to inform further design and business decisions regarding the application, as well as visualize the impact an application may have on its stakeholders. The technical report introduces an application created by the author and team allowing users to quickly generate readily-deployable code for prototype applications based on user-generated designs on a canvas. The first version of the application allows both developer and product teams to quickly create proof-of-concept website designs for a new intent and business need, saving hundreds of hours for developers over the course of a program implement (PI) using an internal application that not only is directly integrated with the proprietary HTML/CSS framework, but also significantly more cost-effective than third-party design applications such as Figma.

The STS research report studies the feasibility of potential high-speed rail solutions to be implemented in the Northeast Corridor of the United States, covering millions of residents from Virginia to New York. Despite being the most densely-populated region in the country, the Northeast Corridor lacks high-speed rail comparable to similar regions in other developed nations. The absence of a true high-speed rail solution adversely impacts regional stakeholders in the realm of limiting accessibility to critical destinations and exacerbating transportation-related greenhouse emissions. Stakeholder analysis is performed on two case studies of high-speed rail systems from France and China, identifying both human and non-human actants. Findings from the case studies are extrapolated to anticipate impacts of a high-speed rail network on social groups in the Northeast Corridor.

The technical report and the STS research report were developed separately in its entirety. There is no overlap in subject matter between the two reports. While the technical report and STS research report are unrelated, both research papers intend to approach their respective problems through a thorough analysis of existing literature and solutions, exploration of relevant stakeholders, and outlining the added value and impacts of the discussed solution.

School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Technical Advisor: Rosanne Vrugtman
STS Advisor: S. Travis Elliott