SIGIA-L Mail Archives: Re: SIGIA-L: Getting users to prioritize
Re: SIGIA-L: Getting users to prioritize
From: christina (cwodtke_at_eleganthack.com)
Date: Mon Sep 10 2001 - 21:26:39 EDT
> My question to everyone is- how do we ask users which features are
> critical?
I read this question and I heard it as "How can I judge what features are
important to my users?" Excuse me if I jump to conclusions.
Were this my problem, and I had the luxury of a little time, I think I might
approach it thusly.
I'd start with contextual inquiry/ethnographic research.
http://www.best.com/~jthom/usability/context.htm
http://www.best.com/~jthom/usability/fieldobs.htm
watching closely how users used the current product/a competitor's
product/did their work without a product. I'd ask questions about the joys
and frustrations of trying to do their job, which are always fresh and clear
when one is in the environment.
I might follow this by developing some personas based on my research.
http://www.cooper.com/newsletters/2001_07/perfecting_your_personas.htm
next I'd walk then through some scenarios-- basically a story of their ideal
experience of a perfect product based on your knowledge of and empathy for
the users. This is when most of the features will emerge.
http://www.webmasterbase.com/article.php/326
Finally I'd do a task analysis to ferret out exactly what was required to
make the application work. this may reveal a few more features.
http://www.webmasterbase.com/article/326/15
Next you go into the rest-- cost justifying, feasibility analysis, etc.
Finally I'd document thoroughly these decisions and what drove them in my
requirements document
http://www.shorewalker.com/pages/documentation-1.html
Later, as I designed I'd do prototype testing early on with users to see if
I'd got it right. After all, ballpoint on paper is easier to change than
hundred of lines of code....
Hope this is helpful,
C
It's not paper.
http://www.eleganthack.com
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