Workflow Detail: Refine the System Definition

Purpose

The purpose of this workflow detail is to:

• Describe the use case's flow of events in detail.
• Detail Supplementary Specifications.
• Model and prototype the user interface.

Refining the System begins with use cases outlined, actors described at least briefly, and a revised understanding of project scope reflected in re-prioritized features in the Vision that is believed to be achievable by fairly firm budgets and dates. The output of this workflow is more in-depth understanding of system functionality expressed in detailed use cases, revised and detailed Supplementary Specifications, as well as user-interface elements.

How to Staff

Use-case specifiers should be skilled in expressing themselves in writing, and also have a good understanding of the problem domain. It is often wise to include in your group of use-case specifiers people who later on will act as designers and testers.

Especially in larger projects, user-interface designers are often a separate group of people, focused only on the user interface.

Work Guidelines

Use-case specifiers and user-interface designers should work together closely to define detailed requirements of the system. Although much of the work is done individually, frequent walkthroughs should be performed to ensure the team is in sync.