Chapter+9

toc

=Requirements=

A **requirement** is…something that the product must do or a quality that the product must have.

Two types of requirements
Ie for PDA the phone functions must be accessible while connected to the Internet.
 * Functional** – what the system must do.

Ie for PDA the system must present an up-market, business like image.
 * Non Functional** – what the system must have

MosCoW Rules
Must have – fundamental requirements w/o which the system will be unworkable and useless

Should have – would be essential if more time were available to build it otherwise the design is usable w/o them.

Could have – of lesser importance, therefore can more easily be left out

Want to have but won’t have – can wait till a later development


 * Requirement work involves using a variety of techniques to understand and analyze someone else’s needs and aspiration.

Interviews
> Semi-structured – prepared with questions but can reword these as appropriate and explore new topics as they arise. > Unstructured – no preset questions or topics beyond the general subject or the project in question. > >
 * vital method to gather stories and issues from users. Structured – uses questions that are developed before hand.

Preparation

 * get to know the background, “idiot questions” can uncover unspoken assumptions but use them deliberately not by accident.

Keeping track of the interview

 * keep notes, can have two people doing interview, one asking questions, the other writing down the notes. ( can replace an individual with tape recorder)

Telling Stories

 * a storyteller can give things disproportionate emphasis. Be aware of this in analysing interview datas.

Reflection and Exploration

 * reflecting back on interviews helps confirm you understand what was said.

General-purpose exploratory questions

 * these help the interview along – ex) tell me about your day

When to stop

 * stop once no new insights are obtained (if limited) otherwise interview the individual or organization 2 or 3 times.

Questionnaires

 * use if large number of people to be surveyed.
 * Difficult to design in which the response are not misunderstood.


 * In obtaining information, sometimes it is better to be on site to get a full idea of what the interviewee is talking about. This can be done after an initial interview to get a sense of what you are about to observe. In the simplest form the designer can ask ‘can you show me how you do that?” during an interview.