September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 1CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionLecture 04 Overview●Requirements analysis–Root concept–Getting users involved–Analyzing work practices●Scenario-based Design–Problem scenarios–Claims analysis●Requirement specifications●Assignment out: Homework 1 September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 2CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionRequirements Analysis●Goal: Understand users’ current activities well enough to reason about technology-based enhancements–Mission statement–Meetings and studies with clients–Requirements specification●In SBD this is an on-going process that tracks changes in specifications as clients see what technology can do for their goalsSeptember 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 3CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionRequirements Analysis●Understand the work that goes on now–to specify functionality that meets real needs but identifying problems and opportunities for improvement●Learn about the people that use current technology–to specify functionality that is convenient and satisfying to useSeptember 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 4CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionClass Registration Example●Many years ago, the procedure for registering for the next term's classes at UE was:–An advisor receives registration cards.–A student makes an appointment with her advisor to pre-register.–At the meeting, the advisor and student agree on a set of classes that are written on the card.–The card is signed by the advisor and student, and taken by the student.September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 5CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionClass Registration Example–On a prescribed date and time (determined by class year and last name), the student takes the card to the Registrar's office to be entered into the registration system; if the student misses her assigned time, she can go at any later time.–Closed classes require a student to go back to advisor to get a signed add/drop slip with changes or instructor signatures; the slip is taken to the Registrar's office.September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 6CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionClass Registration Example●Several years ago, UE decided they wanted an on-line course registration system. First attempt (Aspen) was to make then current system available on the Web for faculty to enter student registrations.●First use of WebAdvisor also duplicated prior procedure. More recently, UE decided to make students responsible for their own registration.September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 7CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionRoot Concept●Root concept is multi-faceted statement that provides shared understanding of the project participants–Project vision and rationale–Starting assumptions–Initial analysis of stakeholdersSeptember 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 8CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionStakeholders●Who are the users?●Stakeholder is anyone who is impacted by in the system. Document relationships and dependencies.September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 9CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionStakeholders●Four categories–Primary – those who use the system–Secondary – those who provide input or receive output from the system–Tertiary – those affected by the success or failure of the system–Facilitator – those whose job is to create the systemSeptember 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 10CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionIn-class Exercise 1●Formulate a root concept for the UE course registration system. Who are the:–Primary stakeholders?–Secondary stakeholders?–Tertiary stakeholders–Facilitators?September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 11CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionHow Are Users Involved?●Often easy to determine organizational workflow through documents like procedures manuals●Also want to uncover tacit knowledge held by experts. –Contextual inquiry: observe and ask questions during observation–Participatory analysis: observe and ask questions later during discussionSeptember 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 12CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionAnalyzing Work Practices●What is work?●Three components–Activities: goals and actions of individuals and groups–Artifacts: designed objects used by workers such as information, tools–Social context: users, organization, roles, interdependenceSeptember 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 13CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionEthnography●Ethnography is an analytical technique to study the experiences of people whose reality is vastly different from the analyst's.●Full study is weeks to months in length, too long for software development process. ●HCI professionals conduct quick field studies that are more intensive and focused to learn just enough to guide design.September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 14CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionField Studies●Includes workplace observations, recordings, interviews, artifacts●Root concept determines which activities to observe, what questions to ask●Try to observe or interview each stakeholder group at least onceSeptember 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 15CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionTask Analysis●Document what users are doing now●Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) – tasks (activities) are broken down into subtasks until desired level of detail is reached.●Selection and repetition of subtasks are noted.September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 16CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionIn-class Exercise 2●Develop an HTA for the problem of adding or dropping a course during the first week of classes at UE.●Consider what exception conditions might arise and how they are handled.September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 17CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionArtifacts●Document artifact features: may suggest particular users or uses. E.g., crayon vs. pencil.●Observe artifacts in use: often actual meaning is apparent when in use. E.g., name badge at a conference is used to identify “important people”.●Interview users about artifact use.September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 18CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionIn-class Exercise 3●To add/drop a course at UE, a student needs to have a signed add/drop slip. What does this slip imply about the UE registration system?September 8, 2009 CS 350 Lecture 04 19CS 350: Computer/Human InteractionSummary of Analysis●For stakeholders: background, expectations, preferences●For tasks: HTA or similar●For artifacts: features, implied information or procedures●Workplace themes for social context: categories of related observations or