Requirements Gathering aka Understanding the - WordPress.com

22 Pages·2011·1.3 MB·English

Requirements Gathering
aka
Understanding the Problem
plus a few words about prototyping
From Whom to Learn
Requirements
•  Start with your customer – but don’t stop
there!! Customer is rarely the user
•  Go on to ……
•  Users – may be several categories
•  Stakeholders – all who are affected by the
system, even if are not using it
•  Government rules and regs
–  Privacy, FERPA
Methods
•  Interviews (in person)
•  Focus groups
•  Surveys (paper, on-line)
•  Review existing software or website
•  Observe others at work (ethnography)
•  Learn how to do it yourself
•  Review internal/external documents
•  Build rapid prototypes, get feedback
Interviews
•  Structured – “Just the facts”
–  Efficient
•  Unstructured – A conversation
–  Inefficient
•  Semi-structured – start with
focused questions, move to open-
ended discussion
–  Good balance, typically most
appropriate
•  Prepare in advance!
–  Questions
–  Knowledge level of interviewee
•  Computer knowledge
•  Domain knowledge
•  Organizational and usage role
Introduction to HCI
Interviews : Semi-Structured
•  Plan for effective question types – dependent on
role of interviewee
•  How do you perform task x?
•  Why do you perform task x?
•  Under what conditions do you perform task x?
•  What do you do before you perform…?
•  What information do you need to…?
•  Whom do you need to communicate with …?
•  What do you use to…?
•  What happens after you…?
•  What is the result or consequence of…?
•  What is the result or consequence of NOT…?

–  See Gordon & Gill, 1992; Graesser, Lang, & Elofson, 1987
Introduction to HCI
Other Typical Questions
•  Rank the importance of each of these tasks (give a list of
tasks, which assumes familiarity with domain)
•  List the four most important tasks that you perform (this
is an open question)
•  List the pieces of information you need to have before
making a decision about X, in order of importance
•  Are there any other points you would like to make?
(open-ended opinion question; good way to end)
•  Same questions can be used in interview and in
questionnaire; difference is in follow-up opportunity
Introduction to HCI
Focus Groups
•  Group of individuals - 3 to 10
–  Use several different groups with different roles or
perspectives
–  And to separate the powerful from those who are not
–  Careful about few people dominating discussion
•  Use structured set of questions
–  More specific at beginning, more open as progresses
–  Allow digressions before coming back on track
•  Relatively low cost, quick way to learn a lot
•  Audio or video record, with permission
Introduction to HCI
Surveys/Questionnaires - Example
•  Seven-point Likert Scale (use odd #)
Evaluation Questionnaire
Please complete the following questionnaire by indicating how strongly you agree or disagree with the
following statements. Your responses will be kept confidential and will be used only for improving the
interface that you worked with in this experiment.
1. I felt that the computer agent’s help was worthwhile. 1-----2------3------4------5------6------7
Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree
2. I found the computer agent to be intrusive. 1-----2------3------4------5------6------7
Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree
3. I found the computer agent's help to be distracting. 1-----2------3------4------5------6------7
Strongly Strongly
•  Use non-leading que Dsisagtreie o n s Agree
–  Rephrase above to be non-leading
•  Five-point scale OK too
•  Google survey tool is great!
Introduction to HCI
Process
•  Can’t use all these methods
•  Pick ones that seem most appropriate and
achievable
•  Make a plan, stick with it
•  One team member interfaces with
customer
–  Reach out to customer NOW
–  Plan your customer interactions in advance
–  Give them lead time
Results of Req’ts Gathering
•  User categories and characteristics
•  Constraints
•  Functionalities
•  Use Cases