[Sigia-l] Re: 'Process+Tools+Guidelines' to do the right thing

[prai at prady.com]

FYI... "Ralph Lord" reply to mail thread "'Process+Tools+Guidelines' to do
the right thing" -

Pradyat,

Have been walking many of the same paths you mention this past year and have
some thoughts on your questions:

1. Indeed, RUP really doesn't say anything about HOW one arrives at a design
for the UI. It merely has the role "UI Designer" and suggests creating "Use
Case Storyboards" and  "UI Prototype".  However, it implies that this work
is done after all the reqts gathering and most design/analysis (meaning
technical D and A) have been done.  I would mostly agree with the UIRupture
article and am a big fan of Larry Constantine's work.  In a similar way, RUP
doesn't really say much about HOW to gather the reqts, but just sort of
assumes that you'll get them and then directs you to house them in ReqPro or
vision/SRS/SAD documents.  We have had some success in using "Visual Use
Cases"(TM) which are simply wireframes attached to use-cases and used as
early as possible to validate and clarify what the users/stakeholders think
they are specifying in the use-case. Users like them because they are
pictures, developers like them because they are use-cases.  Trick is
introducing them at a high enough level of abstraction so that people don't
think you are designing the UI in them.

2.  Who cares what tool?  We use visio for static and often use PowerPoint,
yes, PowerPoint for "clickable" prototypes. PPT has the advantage of being
simple and easy to distribute (not always the case with Visio). We also use
Dreamweaver but that's just a personal preference.  It's an unnecessary
distraction to argue about which tool.

3.  same as #2

On another note, we have also been pushing a new role in RUP we call "User
Experience Analyst" which sounds like a RUP role and whose responsibilities
are what you would expect. See attachment.

HTH



Ralph Lord
System Analyst
Northrop Grumman Mission Systems
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
770.234.6562