[IxDA Discuss] What do these prototyping tools give me? (RE: Axure RP Pro prototyping tool)

[Todd Warfel]

Jay,

So, I'm reading your response, or started to and then started  
thinking... "If it takes three particularly large paragraphs to  
describe what this thing does, then it's too complicated." Powerful ­  
complicated.

I'm dreaming of the day when we can have a powerful tool that  
provides prototyping, annotated behaviors and is maintainable that  
doesn't take this much work to describe.

Granted, I've never used iRise, but from what I've read and gathered  
from those who have used it, it seems like there has to be a better,  
simpler method. Perhaps it hasn't been invented yet. And that's fine,  
cause I love those kind of challenges ;).

On May 13, 2006, at 11:30 PM, Jay Morgan wrote:

>  Prototyping tool:
> iRise has a 'server' (read, engine, as it's software) that sits on a
> networked computer or an actual server.  It has licenses for  
> 'Studio' that
> sit on the users' local machines.  It has another 'Manager' piece for
> requirements management.  It has two ways for non-studio users to  
> view it:
> 'Reader' is a license for internal people who will use it regularly;
> and 'iDoc' is the free reader that let's people view it for free  
> inside or
> out of your company - onshore or off.  Reader & iDoc let you view  
> the entire
> simulation and give feedback on it.  Reader & iDoc simply present the
> simulation in your browser.  iDoc is also the name of the file that  
> you send
> out for others to view.
>
> Maintainable objects:
> The Studio has Scenarios, Pages, Templates (for pages), Masters (sorta
> like templates for elements & objects), Decisions, and Datasheets.   
> You
> start by building scenarios in a whiteboard.  Scenarios consist of  
> Pages and
> Decisions.  Pages are built with elements - design elements,  
> functional
> elements, and data elements.  Templates typically have design &  
> functional
> elements, usually in a specific array/layout.  Masters are good for
> functional elements, as you can reuse them on different templates.
> Decisions help you make choices for navigation, user validation or
> segmentation, calculations, and a few other things that depend on your
> ability to imagine contingent relationships.  Datasheets let you  
> store,
> access, update, delete records.  Putting Decisions and Datasheets  
> together
> is where iRise really excels.  That's where data elements come into  
> play.
> iDocs also become the currency for archiving and sharing objects with
> others.  For instance, like a developer could share lines of code in
> NotePad, I can save Decisions & Datasheets that solve a particular  
> problem
> with another user.
>
> Sharing & Annotating:
> Studio users can share things via the server, shared projects, or  
> by sending
> someone a private project.  Shared projects live on the shared server.
> Private projects live on your local machine (with studio).   
> Designers can
> share projects with non-studio users by (clicking a button to)  
> produce an
> iDoc.  The iDoc goes out by email (it's in the hundred KB range for  
> big
> simulations) or on shareable media or drives.  The recipient opens  
> the iDoc
> in with either a Reader license or with the free download iDoc  
> Reader.  Just
> to repeat an important point:   The viewer goes through the  
> simulation - the
> whole simulation - with the iDoc.  The iDoc has the simulation and the
> document mentioned before.  The viewer can make comments (a la  
> PowerPoint or
> Adobe Acrobat) in the Simulation or document.
> [I laughed after reading: *If it isn't in something like PDF, HTML,  
> SWF, or
> DOC, then I can't be bothered with it.  *Is it that four is your  
> limit?
> What about MP3, JPG, GIF, or EXE?  How is not *something like*  
> those, if
> they're all extensions for filetypes?]
> Special Example:  For usability testing, we simply open the  
> simulation in a
> browser using a Reader license on the test machine.  We run Morae  
> to record
> the test session.


Cheers!

Todd R. Warfel
Partner, Design & Usability Specialist
Messagefirst | designing and usability consulting
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