G&W Chapter 11: Software Specification Lecture 18 Methods G&W Chapter 11: Software Specification Lecture 18 Prepared by Stephen M. Thebaut, Ph.D. University of Florida

Using Visual Tools to Supplement our Left-Brain (Verbal) Tools “Arguing about pictures doesn’t seem to acquire the same violence as arguing about words.” “To be useful, a map must contain information – enough to make it worth our while to study it, but not so much that our capacity for understanding is overwhelmed.” Software Specification: G&W Chapter 11

Software Specification: G&W Chapter 11 Mapping Tools Sketching Typical in developing physical products. Not taught to info system developers, whose work often suffers from overly precise notations used too early. Wiggling: a sketching technique using wiggly lines to indicate incomplete precision in part of the diagram. Software Specification: G&W Chapter 11

Braindrawing: a Visual Variant of Brainstorming Participants start a drawing and then pass it on others for refinement. After a few cycles, drawings are mounted in an “art gallery” and presented by someone who didn’t contribute to it. Software Specification: G&W Chapter 11

Software Specification: G&W Chapter 11 Right-Braining Goal is to encourage partial thoughts and ideas to be conveyed as images (as with the Chapter 10 lecture notes.) The visual form may reveal ambiguities that the verbal form concealed. Every process we use can be right-brained, revealing verbal assumptions, stimulating new ideas, and letting our left brain relax for a change. Software Specification: G&W Chapter 11

Software Specification: G&W Chapter 11 Exercise Use braindrawing to develop a creative solution for the following problem: Develop a well-equipped, on-campus transportation device for today’s college student. Software Specification: G&W Chapter 11

G&W Chapter 11: Software Specification Lecture 18 Methods G&W Chapter 11: Software Specification Lecture 18 Prepared by Stephen M. Thebaut, Ph.D. University of Florida