In university programs one of the biggest problems is that the deliverables of phases of development are taught as paper deliverables with almost no prototype or view of the software from the user perspective. We go from functional and non-functional requirements to design using class, sequence and collaboration diagrams and only after the design phase do you tend to write code i.e. you don't have a prototype to work from or experience from a prototype. I agree those are important because they help you visualize the whole project but the problem with them is that the decision makers can't visualize the end product from those types of diagrams. The people who have created these processes seldom consider the client. What of the exercises I like doing though to help me create a better user experience is to complete a Usability Requirements and Task Analysis, you can find a sample of that document on my website here:
http://www.kopanas.com/school/soen357/index.html In that directory you will also find other standard UI type documentation if you are looking for some of the things that students are now doing in Software Engineering programs. If you are looking for an IEEE standard for a requirements document and a template created from the standard you can find them and other things at: http://www.kopanas.com/school/soen342/index.html Just in case some of you are interested. > Steve Nelson says that "scope creep" is just a pejorative term for a > process that's natural and necessary for users to go through. I agree > completely. The prototype creates a safe environment for "scope creep" > to occur. If the user could really specify exactly what was needed, we > wouldn't need a prototype. We could go from requirements to code. This > is exactly the process that has landed us into such hot water with high > failure rates. In fact, this tendency is so built into programmers that > I think for most of us, the only way we're willing to look at the world > anew is by having enough pain from failures. At least, that was true for > me. ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bUrFMa.bV0Kx9 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
