User requirements Thomas Finholt, Elizabeth Wierba, and Jeremy Birnholtz CREW, School of Information University of Michigan
Overview Who are the users? Development strategy Focus of user requirements effort Methods for requirements gathering °As proposed… °Modified plan… Maintaining the “living specification”
Who are the users?
Development strategy Build : Rapid prototyping Trials : Deploy, use, evaluate. Modify : extend design, evolution Conceptualize : Interview, Observe & Define objects in current practice; establish baseline. “living specification”
Focus of user requirements effort Input from core technical areas °Collaboration °Teleobservation and operation °Simulation °Operations, deployment, and support °Visualization °Data °System architecture
Proposed methods Baseline surveys °Technical survey °Details of data and control interface to equipment °Details of network environment °Practice survey °Extent and nature of collaboration °Obstacles and bottlenecks Field interviews °Visits to representative NEES facility and user sites
Modified plan Surveys will move forward °Web-administered °Technical and network survey °Very detailed °Single respondent organizes responses for a particular site °Piloted on four respondents this week °Practice survey °Similar to survey in advance of NEESgrid workshop 11/00 °Will seek responses from students, staff, and faculty
Modified plan Postpone field interviews °Travel concerns Self-assessment °We will send a video camera and a still camera to each site °A storyboard will explain what shots we want °Approximately 15 minute video tour of the facility °Disposable 35 mm camera – 24 shots °Student or staff person can gather data °Return cameras and film to Michigan °Being piloted in the Michigan CE department
Maintaining the “living specification” We will produce an initial requirements document °Published online by 12/31/01 This will guide prototype development BUT -- we expect surprises and changes Our iterative design strategy can accommodate these surprises Resulting modifications will be incorporated into an updated requirements statement