# Project Plan: Visual Assistant

## Introduction

This document outlines the phased development plan for the Visual Assistant project. The initial focus is on delivering a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to provide a functional, interactive visual chatbot with persona and emotion features. Subsequent phases will introduce advanced capabilities and platform support.

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## Development Phases

### Phase 1: MVP (Estimated: Weeks 1–4)
- Chat interface (web app)
- Persona selection
- Static PNG expressions for emotional feedback
- Expression changes driven by chat content
- User memory system for consistent behaviour
- Basic project documentation
- Unit and integration tests

### Phase 2: Enhancements (Estimated: Weeks 5–7)
- Improved emotion detection algorithms
- Custom persona creation
- User settings/preferences
- UI/UX polish
- Expanded test coverage

### Phase 3: Future Features & Platforms (Estimated: Weeks 8–12)
- Live2D model integration
- Text-to-Speech (TTS) support
- Android app development
- Cloud deployment (AWS/Heroku/Firebase)
- Monitoring and analytics

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## Timeline

| Phase      | Tasks                                 | Duration    |
|-----------|----------------------------------------|-------------|
| Phase 1   | MVP Core Features                      | Weeks 1–4   |
| Phase 2   | Enhancements                          | Weeks 5–7   |
| Phase 3   | Future Features & Platforms            | Weeks 8–12  |

*Timeline is indicative and may be adjusted based on team capacity and feedback.*

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## Milestones & Deliverables
- **End of Week 2:** Basic chat interface and persona selection demo
- **End of Week 4:** MVP feature-complete, initial documentation, and tests
- **End of Week 7:** Enhanced features and improved UX
- **End of Week 12:** Live2D, TTS, Android app, and cloud deployment

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## Risks & Mitigations
- **Integration complexity:** Mitigated by modular architecture and regular code reviews
- **Resource constraints:** Prioritise MVP and core features
- **Platform-specific challenges:** Early prototyping and use of cross-platform tools where possible

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## Review & Next Steps
- Regular sprint reviews (bi-weekly)
- Update plan as requirements evolve
- Track progress in TODO.md

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*Document last updated: 17 April 2025*