effective prototyping for software makers

Critical Acclaim for Effective Prototyping for Software Makers!Effective Prototyping for Software Makers is the first book in our field that covers the breadth and depth of prototyping m

Critical Acclaim for Effective Prototyping for Software Makers!

Effective Prototyping for Software Makers is the first book in our field that covers the

breadth and depth of prototyping methods Other books and articles focus on a particular prototyping method, but in this book you learn about wireframes, card sorting, storyboard prototyping, Wizard of Oz prototypes, and more! Renown HCI experts Arnowitz, Arent, and Berger have written a comprehensive book that is filled with practical knowledge, passion for prototyping, savvy insights, and clear examples Effective Prototyping for Software Makers is the sine qua non resource for prototyping and should be required reading for students, HCI practitioners, software developers, and product managers This book is, quite simply, the best resource on prototyping that you can buy.

Chauncey Wilson, Usability Manager, The MathWorks

Artists sketch before they paint; writers produce outlines and drafts; architects make drawings and models; aircraft designers take models to their windtunnels-all these activities are forms of prototyping Designing and building effective software requires deep understanding, and this requires effective prototyping, but most software designers and developers don’t seem to know the full range of available tools, techniques, and processes Effective Prototyping is written by steadfast and reliable guides who cover prototyping techniques in remarkable depth This book is a thorough guide to

prototyping for both newcomers and the experienced It will take you step by step

as well as explain the purpose of each step

This is the essential handbook of prototyping.

Richard P Gabriel, author of Innovation Happens Elsewhere

There are many steps in the development of successful software projects, but one major key is prototyping: rapid, effective methods for testing and refining designs Effective prototyping can be remarkably simple, yet provide powerful results without delaying the project Indeed, effective prototyping is often the key to faster development Up to now, there has been no single source for how it is done But here, in this comprehensive book, Jonathan Arnowitz, Michael Arent, and Nevin Berger explain all in this essential guide to software prototyping.

Everything you ever wanted to know, but had no idea who to ask.

Don Norman, Nielsen Norman Group & Northwestern University, author of

prototyping as a way to reduce risk and increase the likelihood of customer adoption and loyalty It shows how prototypes not only improve product quality, but also support collaborative work, help build product strategy, and create a shared sense of purpose among development team members

The book presents a comprehensive survey of tools and techniques and provides practical, detailed explanations, with illustrations, of how to plan and build prototypes

The authors draw on their deep professional experience to recommend appropriate prototyping techniques for various stages of product development This important advice will undoubtedly save many readers from choosing the wrong method at the wrong time.

Whether you are the manager of a development team or a developer or designer working

on a user interface product, this book will expand your appreciation of prototyping and give you countless ways of doing your work better Whether you read it cover-to-cover or just dip in for some just-in-time assistance, this book gives you a practical and theoretical foundation for making your own effective prototypes.

This is an ideal text for professional software engineers and designers who are new to prototyping as well as students in engineering, design, and human factors The concepts and techniques presented in this volume should be considered part of the foundational knowledge for anyone in the software development field I recommend this book to any software company that wants to improve their capability to build great products.

Jim Faris, The Management Innovation Group LLC

EFFECTIVE PROTOTYPING FOR SOFTWARE MAKERS

Effective Prototyping for Software Makers

Jonathan Arnowitz, Michael Arent, Nevin Berger

The Persona Lifecycle: Keeping People in Mind Throughout Product

Design

Jonathan Pruitt and Tamara Adlin

Cost-Justifying Usability

Edited by Randolph Bias and Deborah Mayhew

User Interface Design and Evaluation

Debbie Stone, Caroline Jarrett, Mark Woodroffe, Shailey Minocha

Rapid Contextual Design

Karen Holtzblatt, Jessamyn Burns Wendell and Shelley Wood

Voice Interaction Design: Crafting the New Conversational Speech

Systems

Randy Allen Harris

Understanding Users: A Practical Guide to User Requirements

Methods, Tools, and Techniques

Catherine Courage and Kathy Baxter

The Web Application Design Handbook: Best Practices for

Web-Based Software

Susan Fowler and Victor Stanwick

The Mobile Connection: The Cell Phone’s Impact on Society

Richard Ling

Information Visualization: Perception for Design, 2 ndEdition

Colin Ware

Interaction Design for Complex Problem Solving: Developing Useful

and Usable Software

Barbara Mirel

The Craft of Information Visualization: Readings and Reflections

Written and edited by Ben Bederson and Ben Shneiderman

HCI Models, Theories, and Frameworks: Towards a Multidisciplinary

Science

Edited by John M Carroll

Web Bloopers: 60 Common Web Design Mistakes, and How to

Coordinating User Interfaces for Consistency

Edited by Jakob Nielsen

Usability for the Web: Designing Web Sites that Work

Tom Brinck, Darren Gergle, and Scott D.Wood

Usability Engineering: Scenario-Based Development of Human-Computer Interaction

Mary Beth Rosson and John M Carroll

Your Wish is My Command: Programming by Example

Edited by Henry Lieberman

GUI Bloopers: Don’ts and Dos for Software Developers and Web Designers

Jeff Johnson

Information Visualization: Perception for Design

Colin Ware

Robots for Kids: Exploring New Technologies for Learning

Edited by Allison Druin and James Hendler

Information Appliances and Beyond: Interaction Design for Consumer Products

Edited by Eric Bergman

Readings in Information Visualization: Using Vision to Think

Written and edited by Stuart K Card, Jock D Mackinlay, and Ben Shneiderman

The Design of Children’s Technology

Edited by Allison Druin

Web Site Usability: A Designer’s Guide

Jared M Spool, Tara Scanlon, Will Schroeder, Carolyn Snyder, and Terri DeAngelo

The Usability Engineering Lifecycle: A Practitioner’s Handbook for User Interface Design

Deborah J Mayhew

Contextual Design: Defining Customer-Centered Systems

Hugh Beyer and Karen Holtzblatt

Human-Computer Interface Design: Success Stories, Emerging Methods, and Real World Context

Edited by Marianne Rudisill, Clayton Lewis, Peter P Polson, and Timothy D McKay

The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive Technologies

Series Editors:

• Stuart Card, PARC

• Jonathan Grudin, Microsoft

• Jakob Nielsen, Nielsen Norman Group

EFFECTIVE PROTOTYPING FOR SOFTWARE MAKERS

Jonathan Arnowitz Michael Arent Nevin Berger

AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON

NEW YORK • OXFORD • PARIS • SAN DIEGO

SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO

Morgan Kaufmann Publishers is an imprint of Elsevier

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© 2007, Michael Arent, Jonathan Arnowitz, and Nevin Berger Published by Elsevier, Inc All rights reserved.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks or registered trademarks In all instances in which Morgan Kaufmann Publishers is aware of a claim, the product names appear in initial capital or all capital letters Readers, however, should contact the appropriate companies for more complete information regarding trademarks and registration.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Arnowitz, Jonathan.

Effective prototyping for software makers/Jonathan Arnowitz, Michael Arent, Nevin Berger – 1st ed.

p cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-12-088568-9 (alk paper)

1 Computer software–Development I Arent, Michael II Berger, Nevin III Title

QA76.76.D47A762 2006

005.1–dc22

2006019373 ISBN 13: 978-0-12-088568-8

ISBN 10: 0-12-088568-9

For information on all Morgan Kaufmann publications,

visit our Web site at www.mkp.com or www.books.elsevier.com

Printed in Canada.

06 07 08 09 10 5 4 3 2 1

To Morris Arnowitz and in memory of Harriet Welton Arnowitz.

4HIS

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS xxvii

How Will Users and Other Stakeholders Respond to the Design? 12

Which Approach Can Be Taken to Get From Concept to Product? 14

How Can Prototyping Support Product Design Specification? 15

How Can Prototyping Contribute to Better Product Scheduling

CHAPTER 2 THE EFFECTIVE PROTOTYPING PROCESS 21

Step 3: Specifying Content and Fidelity (Chapter 5) 22

CONTENTS

Phase II: Specification (Chapters 6–8) 22Step 4: Determine the Right Prototyping Characteristics

CHAPTER 3 VERIFY PROTOTYPE ASSUMPTIONS AND

Iteration 6: From Coded Prototype to Software Requirements 46

CHAPTER 4 DEVELOP TASK FLOWS AND SCENARIOS 51

Step 2: Identify Dependencies 54

Techniques to Adjust the Fidelity of Information Design 92

Techniques to Adjust the Fidelity of Interaction Design

Contents | xi

System Performance/Behavior 99Techniques to Adjust the Fidelity of the System

Step-by-Step Guide to Selecting the Right Characteristics 128

Contents | xiii

Paper Prototyping 140

Visual Design Guideline 1: Information Flow (Directional) 179

Visual Design Guideline 2: Grid-Based Organization

Visual Design Guideline 3: Rhythm and Pattern (Directional) 182

Visual Design Guideline 4: Unity and Variety (Organizational) 183

Visual Design Guideline 5: Typographic Structure

Visual Design Guideline 7: Logical Grouping (Organizational) 189

User Interface Guideline 1: Progressive Disclosure (Directional) 191

User Interface Guideline 2: Efficiency (Organizational) 193

User Interface Guideline 3: Fitt’s Law (Directional) 193

User Interface Guideline 4: Learnability (Directional) 194

User Interface Guideline 5: Speak the Audience’s Language

User Interface Guideline 6: Explicitly Show Required Actions

User Interface Guideline 7: User Interfaces Should Reflect

User Interface Guideline 8: Universal Accessibility

Contents | xv

Step 2: Blockout most Important Regions 210

CHAPTER 11 REVIEW THE DESIGN: THE INTERNAL REVIEW 221

CHAPTER 12 VALIDATE AND ITERATE THE PROTOTYPE 235

The Strategy of Validating and Ensuring Usability via the Prototype 235Usability Testing: The Tactics of Validating and Ensuring Usability

What Are the Most Appropriate Ways to Hand Off Your

The Product Design Guide 248

An Overview of What a Card Sorting Prototype Looks Like 253

Available Card Sorting Software [Courage and Baxter 2004] 271

A Quick Visualization to Understand Scope, Structure,

An Idea Sandbox to Play Around With Different Product

Contents | xvii

Make Sure All Members of the Software-Making Team

A Medium to Begin Documenting Requirements or

A Quick Visualization of Task Flow Through an Idea 281

Step 1: What Is the Source of the Wireframe Content? 283

How the Storyboard Is Iterated 313

Contents | xix

Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Digital Prototype 351

CHAPTER 20 VIDEO PROTOTYPING 387

What Are the Benefits of a Visionary Video Prototype? 389

Who Participates in the Video Prototype Creation Process? 393

Procedure for a WoO Prototype for a Spoken Natural

Step 7: Usability Testing 416Variation 1: WoO for Simulating Advanced

Variation 2: WoO Method to Help Test an

What Content are Included in a Wizard-of-Oz Prototype? 418

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating High-Fidelity

CHAPTER 23 PROTOTYPING WITH OFFICE SUITE APPLICATIONS 441

Sophisticated Graphics: Something They’re All Missing 443

Who Would Use Office Suite Applications for Prototyping? 443

Contents | xxiii

Step 4: Add Text 478

Step 1: Getting Started (Set Up Your Environment and Stencils) 492

Step 3: Window Functions (Design Top-Level Menu and

Step 4: Design Content Area (Mockup Areas to Display Files

CHAPTER 25 PROTOTYPING WITH ACROBAT 519

4HIS

Where to begin?

The easiest place to begin is with our devoted families We couldn’t have

accom-plished the Herculean effort of this book without the unwavering, loyal and loving

support of: Jacqueline Arent, Nick Arent, Vanessa Arent, Minne Fekkes, Sarah

Arnowitz, Lisa Norman, Eli Berger, Ezra Berger, and Emma Berger

This book could not have been adequately written and produced without the

vote of confidence, guidance and support of our publisher and patron saint, Diane

Cerra

We extend our sincere gratitude to the contributors, who helped in ways beyond

their individual chapters: Ji Kim and Dave Rogers We want to graciously

acknowl-edge those special people who devoted their time to diligently and substantively

reviewing the manuscript: Jim Faris, Dirk-Jan Hoets, and Deborah Mayhew We are

indebted to our tireless editor, Casey Jones

We also want to thank those who gave us their support along the way: Laurie

Vertelney, Jeff Herman, Meg Dastrup, Wendy Mackay, Don Norman, Chauncey

Wilson and Mary Czerwinski With so much guidance, any inaccuracies that remain

are truly the fault of the authors

And last but not least we want to thank the Effective Prototyping photo shoot

team: Mark Detweiler, Sabine Kabel-Eckes, Sally Lawler Kennedy, and Mohini

Wettasinghe We have chosen not to use real life test subjects or users in this book

We feel to do so would be an abuse of the test participant’s cooperation So thank

you team for making these illustrative photos possible by giving up your already

diminished free time for the photo sessions

Lastly, we would like to thank a few people who have personally helped us, or

otherwise inspired us to get to the point in each of our lives where we could write

this book

Nevin: My first thanks goes out to my co-writers who have shouldered the heavy

lifting in this endeavor Jonathan, who held the vision, inspired us and always had

wonderful wine available to keep our fortitude up Michael who could always could

be counted on for his strength, thoroughgoing and a plate of baklava for treats In

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

my user experience career I have always found creativity as my greatest tool I havebeen inspired by creative artists and thinkers such as Alberto Giacometti, AlbertEinstein, William De Kooning, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to name but a few.Michael: My career in technology user experience design and management hasbeen an adventurous and exotic Marco Polo-like journey with many inspiring influ-encers: Leonardo da Vinci, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wassily Kandinsky, LeCorbusier, Jimi Hendrix, Wolfgang Weingart, Laurie Anderson, NicholasNegroponte, Philip Glass, Aaron Marcus, Philippe Starck, Ron Baecker, JoyMountford, Don Norman, Frank O Gehry, and Arundathi Roy.

Jonathan: It has been a bumpy road to this place where I can write a book likethis with such excellent colleagues I got where I am because of these visionary peo-ple: my thankfulness is both profound and humble (if in some cases a little late):

Dr Harold G Marcus, Howard Thomas, Jo Ann Avalos, Alan Balch, Piet Vonk,Martin Simpson, Tasoula Georgiou-Hadjitofi, Lieven Baeten, Gijs der Waal, EstherDunning, David Zeidman, Bill McCarthy, John Thackara, Wendy Mackay, MarilynTremaine, Joseph Konstan, Jose Arcellana, Motasim Najeeb, Diana Gray and mostrecently Michael Arent and Dan Rosenberg For inspiration, I have turned to manytimes: Gustav Mahler, Friedrich Nietzsche, and the towering figure who keeps us allhonest Don Norman

Michael Arent, Jonathan Arnowitz, Nevin Berger

The San Francisco Bay Area, California, 2006

EFFECTIVE PROTOTYPING, WHY THIS BOOK?

Effective Prototyping may seem like an odd title: Who ineffectively prototypes?

Actually, we all do We’d all like to think our prototypes are effective and that we

have a sophisticated understanding of prototyping In reality this isn’t true due to

the simple fact no book we know of addresses these concepts In fact, most

proto-types are often either overachieving or underachieving, neither of which serves

soft-ware-making purposes well It’s the effective prototype that assures your prototype

will hit the mark

OVERACHIEVING PROTOTYPE

An overachieving prototype artificially wows an audience by showing inappropriate

high fidelity too early in the software creation process An artificial high fidelity,

while it may impress, will often cause many design decisions to be made

prema-turely – a leading cause for finding yourself designed into a corner This usually

happens due to thoughtful striving to be as thorough as possible without

under-standing early in the process how thorough to be When design decisions are made

early, little (or no) room remains for successfully evolving a software concept to an

optimal outcome

UNDERACHIEVING PROTOTYPE

An underachieving prototype under whelms the audience through its ambiguity,

and gives the presenter maximum, even dangerous, flexibility to fill in the blanks

with persuasive verbal descriptions The lack knowing what should be thorough

leads to the dangerous situation of an unshared understanding of what a prototype

represents Again, this is generally caused by a lack of guidance as to what should

be thorough and what not An undeveloped prototype leaves vague, aspects that

should be concrete The result is a prototype that leaves it to the reader to fill in

the blanks

EFFECTIVE PROTOTYPE

Overachieving prototypes close discussions early in the process by allowing sions to be made too early These seeming decisions can become confusing to dif-ferent stakeholders By contrast, underachieving prototypes give little to inspire thenext steps of design Effective prototypes combine the right mix of conceptual andexperiential prototyping to accurately express the current state of understanding ofthe software product or service

deci-Effective prototyping is a learnable, repeatable process where the prototypingapproach depends on effective analysis of the current state of requirements as well asthe current needs of your organization Effective prototyping uses the right prototypingtool, method, and process given the appropriate need In order to succeed at prototyp-ing, the effective prototyper must understand all of the variables involved in prototyp-ing, including their advantages and disadvantages The effective prototype allows theaudience to understand ideas without being overwhelmed by superfluous details.Anyone can be an effective prototyper; and anyone can prototype with softwaretools they already know how to use No doubt for some people this statementraises a few questions

THE YES QUESTIONS

Can I prototype? Yes Anyone can prototype if they understand their goals and rent stage in the software development process

cur-Can I prototype with the tools I already know (or have readily available)? Yes.You can adapt almost any tool to create a successful prototype

A The back of a dinner napkin? Yes

A Paper? Yes

A Presentation tools? Yes

A Office productivity software, such as a word processor or spreadsheet cation? Yes

appli-A Video software? Yes

A Programming software? YesWill it be easy for me to prototype even though I haven’t already incorporated itinto the software creation process? Yes Prototyping can be incorporated in anystage of the software design process, even at multiple stages for varying purposes.It’s never too late to start prototyping Almost anywhere in the software creationprocess, you can slip in some form of prototyping A little and late is better thannone, and your product will be better for it

THE NO ANSWERS

Do you need graphic software experience to prototype effectively? No Graphicsoftware tools are just one of many tools that can be used

Do you need special prototyping tools in order to prototype effectively? No.

Depending on the method, you can use almost any tool you have available, even a

word processor

Do you need to be a designer (or an artist) to prototype effectively? No Not all

prototypes will have logos and pictures in them, and many that do require no more

skill than capturing and pasting what you find on your corporate website or a clip

art library

Do you need to be a developer to prototype effectively? No

Is implementing a prototyping process into my software development timeline

going to cost a lot and take a lot of time? No Prototyping can be included at

vari-ous stages in the software development process, using a variety of styles, many of

which are inexpensive and rapid

We don’t want you to just accept the above answers at face value, this book

aims to prove it

Effective prototyping means understanding prototyping characteristics, content,

methods and tools

SHIFTING PRIORITIES IN FAVOR OF EFFECTIVE PROTOTYPING

The current focus on rapid software development often uses prototyping too late in

the development process This late implementation of design work seems to occur

due to a focus on the wrong priorities rather than bad practice – a focus on

func-tionality rather than usable funcfunc-tionality The industry fixation with and emphasis on

software production comes at the cost of diminished emphasis and priority on the

conceptual and design aspects of software product or services development What

else can explain the fact that compared to the few published works on software

design and usability there is a plethora of books concentrated on software

engineer-ing and production Until this book, not a sengineer-ingle work was dedicated solely to one

of the most important activities in software creation: prototyping With this book

explaining the characteristics, methods, and tools of prototyping, in addition to

where and how prototypes fit in the software creation process, we hope to shift the

priorities of software making toward software conception, design and usability

CHARACTERISTICS

Prototyping characteristics are the many aspects that define a prototype Until

recently, the industry has only discerned between high and low fidelity, and even those

terms are often misunderstood This book defines seven overarching/primary

proto-typing characteristics that you will use to select the appropriate protoproto-typing method

CONTENT

The content of a prototype is what is contained in your prototype and what you

design A prototype can contain many different kinds of content, including

information, visuals, a navigation structure, etc

Preface | xxxi

SOFTWARE IS NOT JUST DEVELOPED IT IS CREATED

The term, software development, stresses being driven by engineering rather than its multidisciplinary collaborative nature The activity, developing software, gives us the

impression that the software already exists in some ideal form to be realized byengaging in a methodical scientific process inexorably resulting in the finishedsoftware

The prevailing practice we have observed in many companies suggest that, due

to its technical nature, software will have a predictable outcome as long as the rightengineering methods are followed The reality is much different, with an overwhelm-ing majority of written code (just like the majority of specified design) never seeingthe light of day It is not necessarily bad development that leads to wasted code orbad software, but rather poorly planned or ill-conceived development processes BillBuxton (one of the pioneers in human-computer interaction) made the observationthat successful software making is a process more akin to filmmaking than pureengineering Films are made, not by a waterfall process but rather by doing most ofthe work upfront and then iterating A script and cast of characters are knownalmost in its entirety before filming even begins When filming begins, there is aconstant iteration centered on the core of the script and the cast of characters andreviewing what had been shot each day [Buxton 2003] It is our view that prototyp-ing should play the same role that a script and cast of characters does in films: itshould be the overall plan the core is iterated on

As a part of the software making process, we look more to prototyping as thing to be done early and often In the view of Michael Schrage, co director ofMIT’s media lab, prototypes are “shared spaces” that stimulate discussions,debates and decisions that foster innovation and problem resolution You appreci-ate how they elicit indispensable feedback from customers and end users in usabil-ity testing [Schrage] Prototypes also elicit feedback from the myriad of key internalstakeholders required to build software Indeed just as Schrage envisions prototyp-ing as a collaborative tool shared by clients and consultants, it is even more effec-tive among the members of internal software creation teams Regardless of whoyou are, this book is dedicated to making you and your team into more effectiveprototypers

some-Preface | xxxiii

Business Requirements

Functional Requirements

Design

Technical Requirements

Quality Assurance

Release

FIGURE 1 A waterfall in action Water falls down to the bottom never to be seen at the top again.

THE GREAT WATERFALL METHOD

In software engineering, the waterfall method is one of the prevalent processes used to manage

software development projects Waterfall, projects are broken into phases.

The waterfall diagram shown in Figure 2 shows that as the software is passed down from one phase

to the next Each team involved with the previous stage hands over the software to the next team with

no additional input or responsibility required This method is considered to be one of the easiest to

man-age due to the predictable and closed nature of the outcomes The major fallacy with this process is the

assumption that when a phase is done, the work of that phase has been completed forever However, in

reality, analysis rarely stops with design Design almost never stops during the Build phase, and so on.

The result is an artificial separation and compartmentalization of people who need to work together in

collaboration As shown by Ensor [Ensor 1997] in Figure 3, even attempts to bring iteration into the

waterfall process illustrates that this is doomed to failure as time cannot travel backwards For example,

a new business requirement during the build phase, would have a ripple effect causing all previous steps

to be revisited: this is not efficient nor realistic Moreover, we find informal processes, undercutting the

waterfall as teams need to work collaboratively to be efficient.

SOFTWARE MAKING AND SOFTWARE MAKERS – A MODEL FOR SOFTWARE CREATION

Too often, software creation is viewed in engineering terms rather than as thecross-disciplinary process it should be perceived as This claim should not be

FIGURE 2 The phases of

a waterfall method as

many software makers

have experienced it.

FIGURE 3 The Waterfall

Test Build

Transition

Production

interpreted as anti-engineering; engineers and developers are essential allies and

partners in software creation But they are not the only partners in the complex

process of software making Many people and disciplines share equal footing:

product managers, visionaries, marketers, functional analysts, sales people,

graphic designers, user researchers, interaction designers, etc Effective

Prototyping is not intended to diminish development but to elevate the creation

aspect of software making Moreover, development resources, like all software

development resources, are precious and need to be used effectively It makes

sense to perform many of the more open-ended and exploratory activities

upfront where the use and costs of iterative design and prototyping are much

more effective than later when laborious and costly iteration on software code is

required

We would like to introduce a new term, software makers, inspired by Bill Buxton’s

filmmaking analogy This book is for software makers, the individuals who

concep-tualize, create and produce software The term software maker encompasses the

different disciplines that collaborate in the software creation process Software

mak-ers include:

• Business analysts • Information designers • Usability engineers

• Cognitive and social • Interaction designers • User experience designers

scientists

• Developers • Product and customer • User interface designers

support

• Domain specialists • Product managers • User interface developers

• Functional analysts • Product marketers • Visual designers

• HCI professionals • Quality assurance • And other related

create software

• Human factors • Software architects

professionals

• Industrial designers • Software engineers

• Information architects • Technical writers

The list is indeed long, but all of these stakeholders can improve software

design by contributing to the prototyping process While this book is primarily

writ-ten for the software maker, it may also appeal to educators and students of user

interface and software design As practitioners, this book makes no claims to

aca-demic rigor, but is based on best prototyping and design practices as well as the

input from many top designers interviewed for the preparation of this book as well

as our own experience in software creation

We would also like to add that our focus is intended to be platform

independ-ent The techniques and tools mentioned in this book are equally appropriate for

creating software for web, desktop, kiosk, or handhelds

Preface | xxxv

THE STRUCTURE OF THIS BOOK

Because this book is aimed at a broad audience, no assumptions are madeabout our reader’s prior knowledge Therefore we’re covering prototyping broadlyand not assuming the user has experience in more than one major discipline ofsoftware making Likewise, we have strived to write a stand-alone book To dothis we have included guidelines and tips that only some readers will need.Also, given the broad range of software making disciplines, some sections willinevitably be too basic for some readers Hopefully, we have clearly marked thesesections, such as the HCI guideline of Chapter 10, which will strike some engi-neers and graphic designers as very handy, but our HCI colleagues may findthem very basic

Chapter 1: Why Prototyping – presents a case for using prototyping methods If

you are already an experienced prototyper, you may want to skip this chapter butkeep it available as a handy reference when trying to convince others of the impor-tance of prototyping Chapter 1 includes a brief historical perspective, focusing onthe influential practitioners of prototyping

Chapters 2–13: The process of effective prototyping

The first part of this book focuses on the process of prototyping as presented inFigure 4 This part begins with chapter 2 giving an overview of the entire process.Chapters 3–5 outline the planning phase of the process Chapters 6–8 cover thespecification steps While chapters 9 and 10 cover design and chapters 11–13 theresults For those who have never prototyped, these chapters will be a handy guide

to start For those who are already familiar with prototyping, these chapters mayprove useful to round out or expand your current view of your prototyping practice.For the expert, some chapters may be more helpful than others depending on yourexperience and knowledge

Chapters 14–22: The most popular methods of prototyping

The chapters in the second part cover the most common prototyping methods:how to do them and when to do them Step by step instructions are given wheneverplausible, as well as templates and sample documents These chapters cover cardsorting, wireframe prototyping, storyboard prototyping, paper prototyping, digitalinteractive prototyping, blank model prototyping, video prototyping, Wizard of Ozprototyping, and coded prototyping

Chapters 23–26: Prototyping tools

The third part of this book is meant to match possible prototyping tools withyour existing skills If you’re already familiar with Visio, you may want to go directly

to that chapter If you know Acrobat, then you may want to start with that chapter.The tools covered in this book are office suite applications (word processor, presen-tation software, spreadsheet), Visio, and Acrobat

About the Effective Prototyping web site

In addition to this book, purchasers of this book can also get access to the EffectivePrototyping web site, which will contain the templates and sample files discussed inthis book The templates and sample files will be in the native format so you can

edit them/change them to suit your needs The web site will also be a place to

share your experiences with the book, offer suggestions or changes We hope the

discussion will be lively and will contribute to our continued iterations of Effective

Prototyping It is also our hope to add bonus material to the web site that we could

not include in the book The URL for the web site is

http://www.effectiveprototyp-ing.com/book

To gain access to this web site you need a password You can get the password

by sending an email to booksite@effectiveprototyping.com In the subject line enter

the first five words that appears on page 176 Your password will be sent back to

you by email within 48 hours

So let’s start our discussion of effective prototyping by discussing the why

of prototyping: why you should prototype and what is the business case for

Michael Schrage Serious Play: How the World’s Best Companies Simulate to Innovate Boston, MA Harvard Business School Press, 1999

EFFECTIVE PROTOTYPING FOR SOFTWARE MAKERS