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Goal Directed Design steps

  1. Research and Modeling
    Scope - may be loose or tight
    activity - define intent and constraints of the project
    result - desired outcomes, time constraints, financial constraints, general process, milestones,
    artifact - project brief
    meetings - discover, discuss

    Audit
    :
    activity - review what exists, e.g., documents
    result - business plan, marketing plan, branding strategy, market research, product plan, competitors, related technology
    artifact - summary insights
    meetings - discuss, discover, compare

  2. Opportunities, Constraints and Context
    Interviews :
    activity - discuss values, issues and expectations
    result - management, domain experts, customers, partners, sales channel
    artifact - tapes, transcripts, summary, insights, external collateral, pdf's, DVD's, CD's, other media
    meetings - interviews

    Observations :

    activity - apply ethnographic research techniques ( overview of demographics included )
    result - usage patterns, potential users, user activities, user environments, user interactions, user objects/tools
    artifact - tapes, transcripts, summary, insights, external collateral, pdf's, DVD's, CD's, other media
    meetings - Chalk Talk ( early findings review )

    Personas :
    activity - define typical users
    result - primary user defined and secondary, supplemental user, negative aspects, who is served indirectly. partners, customers, organizational scope
    artifact - notes
    meetings - review persona types and discuss, validate and revise if needed

  3. Goals - deduce what the users want
    activity - summary of user needs, outline and details
    result - life of experience, end of cycles, experience related to value details, business cases, technical considerations
    artifact - details and notes that list the findings
    meetings - now happen with relevant upper level management, or relevant managerial people

  4. Requirements, Framework and Refinement
    Requirements :
    activity - envision a system that will help users meet their goals
    result - problem definition, vision definition, design imperatives, functional and data needs, environmental factors, business case requirements, technical constraints
    artifact - problem statement, vision statement, cast of personas, formal document
    meetings - presentation for version 1

    Scenarios :
    activity - define system user scenarios
    result - define context, validation of scenarios and user interaction models, redefine and prioritze salient features of the system
    artifact - notes and storyboards
    meetings - presentation for version 2

    Elements :
    activity - develop components based upon user research
    result - information objects created, functional objects created, functional actions defined, context of use cases studied
    artifact - list, sketches- prototype screens, diagrams, interaction models- high level or wire-frame
    meetings - presentation for next iteration, version 3

  5. Form, Content and Behavior
    Framework :
    activity - organize the components
    results- object relationships defined, conceptual groupings mapped, principles listed, patterns defined, logic/narrative flow defined, navigation structure established
    artifact - sketches, flow diagrams, user interacion models further defined
    meetings - chalk talk with programmers

    Spec :
    activity - refine iterations and details, describe models and prepare to discuss for final approval
    results - appearance is refined, language of the system finalized, process flow and user behavior further refined, product character established, product story drives the theme
    artifact - formal document, pre-lauch test and demos
    meetings - presentation for final approval/sign offs