Showing papers on "User story published in 2009"

When users become collaborators: towards continuous and context-aware user input

Abstract: Current requirements engineering practices for gathering user input are characterized by a number of communication gaps between users and engineers, which might lead to wrong requirements. The problem situations and context which underlie user input are either gathered back in time, or submitted with wrong a level of details. We think that making user input a first order concern of both software processes and software systems harbours many innovation opportunities. We propose and discuss a continuous and context-aware approach for communicating user input to engineering teams and other users, by a) instrumenting the problem domain, b) proactively recommending to share feedback and c) annotating graphical interfaces.

Lazy User Theory: A Dynamic Model to Understand User Selection of Products and Services

Abstract: In this paper we suggest that a user will most often choose the solution that will fulfill her (information) needs with the least effort. We call this “lazy user behavior”. We suggest that the principle components responsible for solution selection are the user need and the user state. User need is the user’s detailed (information) need (urgency, type, depth, etc.) and user state is the situation, in which the user is at the moment of the need (location, time, etc.); the user state limits the set of available solutions (devices) to fulfill the user need. We present the lazy user theory of solution selection, two mBusiness case examples, and discuss the implications of lazy user behavior on user selection of products and services. Implications on the design of new products and services are also discussed.

System and method for communicating and interfacing between real and virtual environments

Abstract: A human-to-avatar communication environment is disclosed in which a user comes into contact with a life-sized avatar simulating a sales assistant. The avatar communicates with the user to assist with product information, give advice, provide specifications, answer questions, and transact sales. By interacting with the user, the avatar may gather information from the user that indicates the user's interests. The avatar could assist the user by providing information that may include answering questions the user may have about certain products, directing the user to detailed information about the products, informing the user about the product that best suits the user's needs, informing the user of any complementary or popular accessories that go along with the product, helping the user purchase the products, and notifying the retail store's inventory to prepare the product for delivery or pick-up by the user. In addition, the avatar may provide the user with product information which may include information about a specific product, information about a class of products, information used in the sale of a product, a product rating, a product description, a product price, a product's features, a product's peripheral devices, or any other type of information associated with a product. The user could also be provided with information regarding promotions or prizes from an external source (e.g. online, a catalog, an advertisement, etc.) and instructions to redeem the prize at the communication environment. The avatar could then assist the user in redeeming the prize or receiving, for example, a discount offered in a promotion.

Agile user experience SIG

Abstract: Agile development is being adopted by companies with greater frequency every year, resulting in changes to the way user experience practitioners work. Unfortunately, there has been little guidance on how to incorporate User Centered Design (UCD) into the agile process so most practitioners either struggle alone or seek out others in the same boat. The goal of this SIG is to draw upon the shared experience of these practitioners to uncover the best practices for agile user-centered design to facilitate optimal product development.

Supporting Program Comprehension in Agile with Links to User Stories

Abstract: Agile software development involves continuously making iterative and incremental changes to source code. When making changes, developers quickly focus on parts of code that they consider to be important, and sometimes miss other relevant parts. Therefore, tool support is needed to help developers locate conceptually related sections of code. In this paper, we present Zelda, a tool designed to work with Agile practices that captures and maintains links between high-level information and source code. We evaluated Zelda with a pilot study where subjects were required to make a change to a small web application (10KLOCs). They were given a task description either on paper or in Zelda. We found that the Zelda Group made more accurate changes, were less likely to become disoriented, and were more willing to access additional information.

Customer and User Involvement in Agile Software Development

Abstract: Studies of user involvement in agile development are very scarce. We provide a case study of how user involvement took place in a large agile project, which utilized the agile method eXtreme Programming. Planning games, user stories and story cards, working software and acceptance tests structured the user involvement. We found genuine customer and user involvement in the form of direct and indirect participation in the project. The involved customer representatives played informative, consultative and participative roles in the project. This lead to their functional empowerment i.e. the users were enabled to carry out their work to their own satisfaction and in an effective, efficient and economical manner.

Investigating the State of User Involvement in Practice

Abstract: Involving users in software development has been reported to increase the probability of product and project success, as well as user satisfaction. User involvement can occur in the tasks of several different organizational functions, including a dedicated user-centered team. This article presents the results of a case study conducted to understand the current state of user involvement practice in a company producing software solutions for consumers, enterprises, and service providers. The company has recently established a centralized user experience team to provide user-centered practices for the entire development organization. Feedback was found as the most common type of user information, while concrete user participation in the development process was lacking. However, it was perceived that an organized way of involving users in the development process is needed. We hope the detailed findings and insights of this case study will act as the basis for user involvement research in the future.

Story Card Based Agile Software Development

Abstract: The use of story cards for user stories in many Extreme Programming software development projects has been widespread. Several popular traditional methods for story cards (e.g., Cohen M, Kent B) have been used in successful fashion at some extent, but all lack of the powerful features for story cards guidelines, right sort of information on story cards and quality of user stories on story cards. They also do not involve anybody apart from customer on story writing workshop. This paper has described the INSERT model, new proposed frame work of story cards, and a new improved requirements elicitation process in XP. The experience with INSERT model and new framework of story cards indicates that it is feasible to contemplate improving user stories and story cards in Extreme programming. This paper also introduces best practices guidelines for agile requirements engineering to enhance the quality of requirements (story cards).

Continuous and Collaborative Validation: A Field Study of Requirements Knowledge in Agile

Abstract: We present the results of our field study that describe how requirements validation was performed at an industrial software company using agile software practices. As is common in agile processes, the team did not capture requirements knowledge in a comprehensive specification document. Instead, requirements knowledge was captured in user stories, automated acceptance tests, personal notes, and conversations. Validation was performed continuously, during preiteration, iteration planning, and intra iteration using mainly conversations. Validation was also collaborative and involved all team members, including the Product Owner, programmers, and testers. The results of our field study have implications for both agile and validation methods. This successful arrangement of agile practices is instructive for agile practitioners and for researchers studying validation.

User and business communication and discovery platform

Abstract: A platform enables a business to learn about a user based on characteristics of the user and without knowing the identity of the user The business specifies characteristics of users of interest to the business When a platform user begins a session, a process representing the platform user interacts with the business's specification so that the business obtains the characteristics of the user without knowing the identity of the user If the user's characteristics match the business's specification, then the platform takes an action specified by the business, such as sending an offer or advertisement to the user

A Storytest-Driven Approach to the Migration of Legacy Systems

Abstract: In this paper, we propose an agile approach, for the migration of legacy software which combines a user story-based iterative process with automated acceptance testing. The proposed approach, named Storytest-Driven Migration (STDM), requires that acceptance tests are written both on the legacy and target versions of a software system. Because of their relevance, the quality of automated acceptance tests is assured through software inspections. As a proof of concept, we conducted a first migration project of a web application towards both a web application framework and a mobile platform.

Supporting Multidisciplinary Teams and Early Design Stages Using Storyboards

Abstract: Current tools for multidisciplinary teams in user-centered software engineering (UCSE) provide little support for the different approaches of the various disciplines in the project team. Although multidisciplinary teams are getting more and more involved in UCSE projects, an efficient approach to communicate clearly and to pass results of a user needs analysis to other team members without loss of information is still missing. Based on previous experiences, we propose storyboards as a key component in such tools. Storyboards contain sketched information of users, activities, devices and the context of a future application. The comprehensible and intuitive notation and accompanying tool support presented in this paper will enhance communication and efficiency within the multidisciplinary team during UCSE projects.

Clarifying Non-functional Requirements to Improve User Acceptance --- Experience at Siemens

Abstract: [Context and motivation] The starting point for software development is usually the system requirements The requirements, especially nonfunctional requirements specified in a document are often incomplete and inconsistent with the initial user needs and expectations [Question/problem] Experience at Siemens showed us that programmers working on software development often have trouble interpreting under-specified non-functional requirements, resulting in code that does not meet the users' quality expectations and contains "quality faults" that can only be detected later through expensive user acceptance testing activities [Principal ideas/results] In this problem statement paper, we investigate the need for clarifying non-functional requirements in software specifications to improve user acceptance In particular we focus on establishing the role of non-functional requirements on user acceptance [Contribution] Our contribution is that we emphasize the need for a systematic empirical study in this area We propose a possible set-up where a number of hypotheses have been developed that a systematic experiment will help to validate Our work is based on industrial experiments at Siemens, in the particular context of the installation of a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system

Designing for mod development : user creativity as product development strategy on the firm-hosted 3D software platform

Abstract: The thesis is designed to improve our understanding of user participation in Web-based development practices in the commercial setting of the 3D software industry. It aims to investigate whether the creative capacities of users and their contributions to the online firm-hosted 3D platform are indicative of a novel configuration of production that influences the processes of product development across firm boundaries. The thesis mobilizes the user participation literature developing in media research as its main theoretical framework. It builds on insights derived from work on user participation in media sites as seen through a cultural lens, in particular, as developed in Henry Jenkins' notions of 'participatory' and 'convergence culture'. The user participation literature is supported by a combination of insights drawn from work on communities of practice and user-centred innovation so as to offer a more robust approach to examine and appreciate the firm-hosted 3D platform as a site of user participation. More specifically, the conceptual framework for the study provides a basis for an examination of the ways a software developer finn encourages user participation in a market and of how this enables and facilitâtes particular modes of user creativity. These are shown to shape and maintain a firm-hosted platform that aids product development efforts that are expected to benefit the developer fimi. An empirical study of the platform, Second Life, provides the basis for the analysis of finn-user interactions which are shown to underpin a distinctive finn leaming process in the context of product development that occurs across permeable fimi boundaries. The thesis yields insight into the way a developer firm invites its user base to partner with it in product development, indicating how aspects of user participation associated with non-market dynamics are embedded in commercial activity and professionalism. The pivotal role of users is revealed in the design, development and sustainability of a firm-hosted 3D product. The findings point to interesting relationships between the distinctive creative capacities of users and the range of capabilities afforded by the firm-provided design space. Variations in user participation and contributions to product development suggest that particular patterns of learning opportunities occur. The analysis yields several new concepts including a 'modification effect market' which are used to extend existing conceptualizations of user participation in digitai development practices in the commercial setting of the 3D software industry.

Transitioning from Agile Development to Enterprise Product Management Agility

Abstract: By now, your company has made the transition to Scrum. "Sprints", "backlogs", and "retrospectives" are everyday words, but you have discovered the complications that arise within Product Management. Product Owners and Managers who have been scattered across multiple teams are no longer in sync, and at the senior management level, there is not very much visibility into what the Scrum teams are working on unless backlogs are scrutinized. Even then, it is difficult to connect the user stories to management’s high level goals. In addition, cross-product dependencies are not being effectively recognized and managed. The necessity of tracing high level business objectives and portfolio initiatives down to the user story level is essential to any high performing agile development organization. This experience report details how Ultimate Software has successfully transitioned from agile development to an agile enterprise.

Modeling Usage: Techniques and Tools

Abstract: Usage modeling seeks to provide end users with a usable - that is, effective, efficient, and satisfactory - interactive product. In a usage-centered development process, users must understand what they need to perform their work tasks. Various techniques exist for collecting and documenting what is understood about the user and future system usage. From the wealth of techniques, we've chosen three because they directly describe human-computer interaction, are widely used, and represent rather generic techniques integrated in mainstream (for example, object- oriented or agile) software development. In this paper, we present these techniques in widely used formats. The range of possible (formal) representations - such as diagrams or in formal languages that support these techniques in the later stages of development.

A Proposal of Discovering User Interest by Support Vector Machine and Decision Tree on Document Classification

Abstract: User interest is one of personal traits attracting researchers' attention in user modeling and user profiling. User interest competes with user knowledge to become the most important characteristic in user model. Adaptive systems need to know user interests so that provide adaptation to user. For example, adaptive learning systems tailor learning materials (lesson, example, exercise, test…) to user interests. We propose a new approach for discovering user interest based on document classification. The basic idea is to consider user interests as classes of documents. The process of classifying documents is also the process of discovering user interests. There are two new points of view:- The series of user access in his/her history are modeled as documents. So user is referred indirectly to as "document".- User interests are classes such documents are belong to.

Generating user stories in groups

Abstract: Communicating about system requirements with user stories is a distinctive feature of Agile Software Development methods. While user stories make system requirements intelligible to both customers and technical developers, they also create new challenges for the requirements elicitation process such as personal bias and requirements coverage. In this study we propose that when elicited from groups instead of individuals, the number of stories generated, the uniqueness and the comprehensiveness of the stories is likely to increase. A lab experiment design is delineated and partially completed. Future research will need to be conducted to determine conclusions.

The Agile Development of Rule Bases

Abstract: Recently, with the large-scale practical use of business rule systems and the interest of the Semantic Web community in rule languages, there is an increasing need for methods and tools supporting the development of rule-based systems. Existing methodologies fail to address the challenges posed by modern development processes in these areas, namely, the increasing number of end-user programmers and the increasing interest in iterative methods. To address these challenges, we propose and discuss the adoption of agile methods for the development of rule-based systems. The main contribution of this paper is three development principles for and changes to the Extreme Programming development process to make it suitable for the development of rule-based systems.

User model on a key

Abstract: Provision of personalized services to users requires accurate modeling of their interests and needs. However, such information may not be available to the service provider. Previously suggested solutions, such as user modeling servers and user modeling mediation demonstrate technological possible solution to the problem. However, at the same time they introduce privacy problem. This paper proposes a general framework for enhancing the privacy of user modeling in personalization systems by keeping the user "in control" of his/her personal information. The UM on a Key that combined a user modeling server and mediation mechanism will allow the user to explicitly select what information to disclose to service provider and to do that at the right format.

Using Metric Visualization and Sharing Tool to Drive Agile-Related Practices

Abstract: This paper presents a metric visualization and sharing tool that supports management and control of Agile-related practices, such as test-driven development, continuous integration, user stories, and pair programming. The tool is part of a larger framework but can be used as a stand-alone system. It integrates data coming from different sources: automatic non-invasive data collection plug-ins, bug and task tracking repositories, code parsers, manual user input, etc. The tool also provides customizable indicators that enable non-experts in the domain to get the general status of the observed process or product at-a-glance. The dashboard-based implementation of the tool is tailored to support multiple user roles, including developers, managers, and even clients.

Automating expert-defined tests: a suitable approach for the Medical Device Industry?

Abstract: Testing is frequently reported as a crucial stage in the software development process With traditional approaches acceptance testing is the last stage of the process before release to customer Acceptance Test Driven Development (ATDD) promotes the role of an expert customer in defining tests and uses tool support to automate and execute these tests Here the challenge is to support such an expert in the reuse of existing documentation This paper details an experiment in a generic domain while outlining plans for development of an automated testing model that could assist medical device companies to adhere to regulatory guidelines by providing them with a fully traceable testing artifacts

Franklin: User Experiences

Abstract: The newest workhorse of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center is a Cray XT4 with 9,736 dual core nodes. This paper summarizes Franklin user experiences from friendly early user period to production period. Selected successful user stories along with top issues affecting user experiences are presented.

User Value Based Product Adaptation: A Case of Mobile Products for Chinese Urban Elderly People

Abstract: Mobile user experience in Asia is far from optimal User interfaces and interactions are just copies of those for Western users Product designers are not clear about the needs of many user segments in Asia Products lack creative solutions specific for the Asian market, driving researchers to study users in Asia and create new concepts to improve the mobile user experience Based upon the Industrial Design Value Innovation Theory developed in the Industrial Design Department of Tsinghua University, this project sponsored by the Nokia Research Center targets the market segment of urban elderly people in China, conducts the user research and concept design for proper mobile products or service systems, and hopes to contribute to the corporate future design strategies and market development plans

Agile Testing: The Rules and Practices of Extreme Programming

Abstract: Its OK to be agile about your agile adoption. David Evans Introduction This appendix reviews the essential rules and practices of Extreme Programming (XP), focusing in more detail on the quality aspects of the method. The XP rules and practices are grouped into four sections: (1) planning, (2) designing, (3) coding, and (4) testing. It is notable that in virtually every description of the principles of XP you read, you will find that testing is covered last. In this appendix, testing is covered as the first topic. Testing Quality assurance (QA) is considered to be an essential aspect of XP. QA may be performed by a separate group, or it can be integrated into the development team itself. In either case, XP promotes the idea that the developers have a high degree of contact with the QA group; this is very much in line with the XP philosophy of closer communications between the stakeholders in a project. XP provides some excellent guidance on testing: XP encourages early and frequent testing. XP looks to make the process as efficient and effective as possible by promoting the use of test automation. XP demands that all code have associated tests, and that where code is changed that the tests be rerun (and/or modified where appropriate to reflect the changes). XP requires test design to be completed before coding has started, with all code having associated unit tests. There are just two types of test in XP: Unit tests written by the developers to test their code. These are white box tests [4], which rely on the knowledge of the code and its purpose. […]

Using user research in creativity: informing systems, service and product experience design

Abstract: Within the context of everyday creativity, there is a growing demand for new systems, products and services that mediate such activity. Some of these tools are emerging from commercial design worlds (iPhone apps, sound and image production software, etc.) and some from creative communities/academia (interactive storytelling tools, new programming tools for interactive artworks, physical computing devices, etc.). Across the design disciplines, and from academia to industry, practicing user research is becoming an increasingly important activity informing the design and development of any product, system or service. Whilst our understanding of the methods and techniques available for generating user research is maturing, the understanding of how to leverage its insights effectively is less well developed. Does user research within the design process in itself incubate or quash creativity and innovation? Is there such a thing as 'too data-driven design'? Can researchers (or those practicing research) be educated for depth of insight, not just method? By the same token, how can we be sure that the user research is actionable? What is the best way to communicate user research? Or is co-development and integrated user research the way to go anyway? What role does user research play in the overall development process? Is user research something best gathered from users or generated with users? Do different communities (e.g. academia and industry) define 'valid user research' in the same ways?

A Scrum tool for improving Project Management

Abstract: is a new approach to project management. Instead of having a lengthy plan-driven project you work in small 15-30 day iterations with daily stand-up Scrum meetings where you use some simple visual tools to create a team feeling of prog- ress. We have developed a specially designed Scrum tool. In this paper we show that this tool improves the way an architec- tural fi rm, Arkitema, uses Scrum. First we observed Scrum in daily practice and interviewed the users at Arkitema and later on in other companies as well. As a result we identifi ed a need for a better tool to visualise the different user stories, with high accessibility and where project history and overview are the main elements. To address that need we undertook an iterative and participatory design process including a number of usability tests. Our conclusion from the tests is that Arkitema's use of Scrum improved with the help of the Scrum tool that we designed. In this paper we present our development process and describe the design of our tool. Finally, we discuss whether the Scrum tool we developed will be useful outside the context of Arkitema and reach the conclusion that the tool can be used for other companies as well

Integration of User Experiences to Advancement of B2B-Software-on-Demand Systems

Abstract: Software on Demand is the new way of ?exible provide of software. Especially small and medium sized companies can benefit of this business model. A major problem of using this solution is that experience with users’ specific needs and common needs of the target groups cannot be clearly defined. For this reason it is essential to find a way to "learn from the user". In this paper, I present the current project and a way how user experience can be integrated to improve the system.