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Organizational Support for Software Design by Laura De Young
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Transcript of Organizational Support for Software Design by Laura De Young
Organizational Support for Software Design by Laura De Young
Chapter 13 in
Bringing Design to Software by Terry Winograd
presented by Catherine Schell
About Laura De Young
Cofounder of Windrose Consulting in Palo Alto, CA
Has observed and advised software companies on their development processes
Conducts workshops on creativity in software design
Clarity of Goals
Two reasons why it is so difficult to set and maintain effective goals: The goal must be shared by everyone.
It must have limited ambiguity. Goals change.
They can continue to be shared if changes are stated and addressed realistically.
Clarity of Goals – An Example
Manusoft Produced software for manufacturing. Had an outdated financial product. Was losing market share to a competitor that had good
inventory-control and financial products. Hired Jane to produce a new financial product.
Jane Wanted to produce the biggest and best financial product
imaginable. Used lots of resources and time to produce a prototype
that failed.
Clarity of Goals – What Went Wrong?
Project goals were ambiguous. Manusoft wanted a financial product that would
only be good enough to support sales of their manufacturing software.
Jane wanted a “striking new product.” No concrete representation of the product
concept to demonstrate the disparity in their understanding of the goals.
Clarity of Goals – Another Example
FinanceCo Producer of banking software. Team of software designers were to produce proof-of-
concept prototype for a loan-processing application. At one status meeting, the team told the manager they
could produce 28 screens. At the next meeting, the team told the manager they
could produce 20 screens. The manager considered this a failure.
Clarity of Goals – What Went Wrong?
The manager lost sight of the original goal. Original goal was to produce an impressive
prototype that communicated the design concept.
Goal transmuted to “produce 28 screens.” Producing only 20 screens was seen as a
failure.
Clarity of Goals – Lessons Learned
Communicate! State and restate project goals.
Use prototypes.
If a design changes… …ask if the modification aligns with the goal. …ask if the goal or the design decision should
be changed.
Customer Focus
We often hear how important it is to focus on the customer.
Focusing on the customer requires work.
In the author’s consulting work, she’s found that people who do software design are reluctant to talk to the customers.
Customer Focus – An Example
DataSoft Produces database applications for the insurance
industry. Initial goal was to “develop a rich and consistent image
through the visual appeal” of the software. This couldn’t be done with a 16-color VGA display.
The company didn’t know if customers were willing to use 256-color display.
Company revised the goal, then reversed this decision and required that users use a 256-color display.
They never asked their customers what they wanted.
Customer Focus – Lesson Learned
DataSoft never knew if… … customers were willing (or not) to use more
expensive displays. … customers wanted “thousands of colors and
full-motion video” for more effective training and communication.
Author felt that DataSoft missed a good opportunity to strengthen their relationships with their customers.
Customer Focus in Action
Intuit, which makes Quicken, focuses on the customer. Employees are encouraged to call 10 customer
contacts when there is a question about what customers want.
The company takes steps to reduce the risk of divulging sensitive information.
Support for Customer Focus
“Engineers and designers are not naturally inclined to seek interaction with customers, and they need to be repeatedly encouraged to do so.”
“There is a natural tendency for a company to lose customer focus as it grows.”
Support for Customer Focus – The Good
Intuit’s “Follow-Me-Home” program Staff went to local stores, asked to observe
people buying Quicken for permission to observe them as they learned to use the software.
Intuit’s market research When they learned Quicken, developed for
personal accounting, was being used for small businesses, they developed QuickBooks.
Support for Customer Focus – The Bad
Author’s client asked her to evaluate UI for a business application. Author felt her input was not taken seriously.
Designers didn’t record usability tests. Designers didn’t ask follow-up questions. Designers became defensive about their design.
Support for Customer Focus – Lessons Learned
There are many ways for companies to get customer feedback.
It is pointless to conduct usability tests merely because it is “fashionable.” If designers are not willing to listen to their
customers and make necessary changes, there is no point in asking them what they want.
Designer Empowerment
People who make design decisions often do not have necessary tools and materials to work effectively. DinoCom manager would not supply twenty-four
designers with books. Another company required designers to get approval
from two levels of management for design changes.
Intuit encourages brainstorming, and encourages designers to pursue most promising ideas. Customers are the judge of how successful a design is. Employees (including salespeople) share profits.
Creativity and Engagement
Designers work best and are more creative when their employers value them. Jim, a software designer, was once dedicated to
his job, but after several years “lived for weekends.”
Previously worked on a team that developed a successful product.
Two subsequent products he worked on were eventually cut.
His work “was not recognized as useful or important.”
Creativity and Engagement – Lessons Learned
Designers’ work and creativity must be acknowledged.
Designers must be supported in taking risks if their creativity is to thrive.
Designers need to know they are making a difference.
Profile: Quicken
Founding product of Intuit, started in 1984.
First released in 1986, rapidly became market leader in software for personal finance.
Intuit’s founder, Scott Cook, found that using competitors’ software took users longer than completing tasks by hand. He recognized that a successful program would have to
be easy to use.
Profile: Quicken cont’d
Development of Quicken was customer-centered. Intuit engaged potential users during design and
development. Intuit added features to the software that sped
up the process of writing checks.
Scott Cook made sure Quicken remained competitive.