Software Development Contexts

(RiCHI, pp. 273-279) stresses the differences among the three development contexts

The "waterfall method" of software development, originated in the 1950s, still in use today (vis. the Gateway2000 ordering system, 1996)
1) feasibility stdy, 2) requirements analysis, 3) preliminary design
4) detailed design, 5) coding, 6) integration,
7) installation, and 8) maintenance

Note: these are "stage models" with little flexibility, an emphasis on scheduling, and no emphasis on iteration or prototyping. Why? Because this model was developed for "contract development".
Note also: this approach requires users to "sign off" on a system without benefit of seeing it or using it.

Why not stress interation and prototyping in design?
"It will cost too much and take too long"

The cost-benefit and business case analysis of usability testing and usability engineering is leading towards viewing usability flaws as software bugs (that NEED to be fixed).

Interactive Systems: Bridging the Gap Between Developers and Users, by Jonathan Grudin (RiCHI pp. 293-303)

The "waterfall" method of software development continues to be used in contract development contexts, where it is natural

Product development focuses on functionality over usability

In-house development is the smallest and yet most influential in terms of recent trends to usability engineering

Each of these paradigms have their own "opportunities" and "obstacles" to which Grudin adds "mediators":

The message: the working context of development is another factor influencing user interface design and usability engineering.

Conducting and Analyzing a Contextual Review (Excerpt)

by Karen Holtzblatt and Sandra Jones (RiCHI, pp. 241-253)

"Contextual inquiry does not provide a set of steps to follow for collecting and interpreting user information. Rather, it provides a set of concepts that guide the design and implementation of information collection and analysis sessions."

Contextual Inquiry "challenges"

The REAL Problem: blind faith in users who:

Advantages of contextual inquiry:

How it works:

How it REALLY works

Interpreting/Analyzing interview results:

Affinity Diagrams (aka Cognitive Maps)

Controversies about Computerization and the Organization of White Collar Work by Rob Kling

History

Social Issues

Social Realism (a data driven account)