[IxDA Discuss] "Gathering" requirements (was: NN/g IxD immersion course)

[Petteri Hiisilä]

Kim Bieler kirjoitti 10.3.2008 kello 23:44:
> I'm particularly interested in the "gathering requirements" portion,
> since I desperately need some clues about interviewing and research.

Disclaimer: This is not an opinion against the course, but an opinion  
against the "gathering" metaphor.

The requirements aren't out there just to collect in a bag. The  
requirements are the interim result of an interaction designer's  
thought process, not its starting point.

1. Current human behavior <-- Observation, discussion, reading, using
2. Goals                  <-- Analysis of the current behavior
3. Future human behavior  <-- Inventing, design, scenarios, analysis
4. Product/service requirements  <-- The first set, for IxD and  
engineering
5. Framework <-- A generic representation of the solution
6. Details <-- A detailed representation of the solution
7. Technical requirements <-- The final set, for engineering and coders

My point is that there are many steps of actual design, before I have  
a sheet of developer-friendly functional requirements to offer, and in  
my opinion the metaphor "gathering" is a very inaccurate word to  
describe these these steps.

You won't invent email just by observing snail mail users. There has  
to be a heureka moment somewhere to fill that gap, and I almost always  
have it at around step #3 - before the requirements. I find it silly  
to think that the requirements were there to collect like flowers from  
weeds.

Thanks,
Petteri

--
  Petteri Hiisilä
  palvelumuotoilija /
  Senior Interaction Designer
  iXDesign / +358505050123 /
  petteri.hiisila at ixdesign.fi

  "Simple is better than complex.
   Complex is better than complicated."
   - Tim Peters