System Requirements Document (SRD)

Project Name: tough-course

1. Introduction

The tough-course project is an AI-powered platform designed to assist online educators in creating course outlines and suggesting content based on topics. This tool aims to save educators time, improve the quality of their course designs, and provide personalized recommendations for both text-based and multimedia content.

This document outlines the system requirements for the tough-course platform, incorporating the latest updates as requested by Sander Pihlakas. The platform will cater to educators globally, with a focus on user-friendly interfaces and advanced AI-driven suggestions.

2. System Overview

The tough-course platform will leverage advanced AI models to generate course outlines and suggest multimedia content (e.g., videos, images, interactive elements) based on user-provided topics and additional details. Users will input information such as the course topic, target audience, course length, and skill level to receive tailored recommendations.

The system will include:

• A user-friendly interface for inputting course details.
• AI-powered suggestions for both text-based and multimedia content.
• Tools for refining and customizing course outlines.
• Integration with third-party platforms for content sourcing and publishing.

The platform will be accessible via web and mobile applications, ensuring flexibility for users.

3. Functional Requirements

• As an Educator, I should be able to input a course topic to generate an outline.
• As an Educator, I should be able to specify the target audience, course length, and skill level for personalized suggestions.
• As an Educator, I should receive AI-generated suggestions for text-based content.
• As an Educator, I should receive AI-generated suggestions for multimedia content (e.g., videos, images, interactive elements).
• As an Educator, I should be able to refine and customize the generated course outline.
• As an Educator, I should be able to save and export the course outline in multiple formats (e.g., PDF, Word).
• As an Educator, I should be able to integrate with third-party platforms for content sourcing and publishing.

4. User Personas

4.1 Educator

• Description: Online course creators, ranging from individual instructors to small educational businesses.
• Goals: Save time in course design, improve course quality, and access multimedia suggestions.
• Pain Points: Lack of time, difficulty in structuring courses, and sourcing engaging content.

4.2 Admin

• Description: Platform administrators responsible for managing user accounts, monitoring system performance, and ensuring data security.
• Goals: Maintain platform stability, manage user access, and oversee content moderation.

5. Visuals Colors and Theme

The tough-course platform will feature a modern and professional color palette to evoke trust, creativity, and focus.

• Background: #F5F7FA (soft light gray for a clean, neutral backdrop)
• Surface: #FFFFFF (pure white for content areas)
• Text: #2C3E50 (dark slate for readability)
• Accent: #3498DB (vibrant blue for interactive elements and highlights)
• Muted: #95A5A6 (subtle gray for secondary information and borders)

6. Signature Design Concept

The tough-course homepage will feature an interactive "Course Galaxy" visualization.

• Concept: Users will see a dynamic galaxy of course topics, where each "star" represents a popular or trending topic. Hovering over a star will reveal its name and a brief description. Clicking a star will zoom into a constellation of related subtopics, creating an immersive exploration experience.
• Animations: Smooth zooming and panning effects, with stars gently pulsing to indicate interactivity.
• Transitions: As users navigate between sections, the galaxy subtly shifts colors based on the selected topic (e.g., blue for technology, green for wellness).
• Micro-interactions: Stars will "twinkle" when hovered over, and constellations will connect with animated lines to show relationships between topics.
• Mood: Futuristic, creative, and inspiring — designed to spark curiosity and excitement about course creation.

7. Non-Functional Requirements

• The system must respond to user inputs within 2 seconds.
• The platform must support at least 10,000 concurrent users.
• The system must ensure data security and comply with GDPR regulations.
• The platform must be accessible on both desktop and mobile devices.

8. Tech Stack

Frontend

• React for Web
• React Native for Mobile App

Backend

• Python
• FastAPI

Database

• MySQL (with Alembic for migrations)

AI Models

• GPT 5.4 for user-friendly responses
• Claude 4.6 Opas for academic or coding work
• Google Nano Banana for image generation

AI Tools

• Litellm for LLM Routing
• Langchain

Orchestration

• Docker for local orchestration
• Kubernetes for server-side orchestration

9. Assumptions and Constraints

• Users will have basic familiarity with online course creation.
• The platform will initially support English, with plans to add other languages in the future.
• The system will rely on third-party APIs for multimedia content suggestions.
• The platform will operate in the GMT+2 timezone (Estonia).

10. Glossary

• AI: Artificial Intelligence
• GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation
• LLM: Large Language Model
• RDBMS: Relational Database Management System