Tag: user requirements

A Couple Tips on Keeping Use Cases Simple

by | Jan 22, 2008 | | 3 |

Use cases are atomic functions that are portable and not dependent upon a certain situation. They are requirement “objects” in the “object oriented” sense. I think that modularity and “reusability” are among the most valuable aspects of using use cases to express requirements.

This modularity can be undermined, though, if we allow our use cases to get too far into specifics and implementation detail.

The book “Use Cases: Requirements in Context”, by Kulak and Guiney, provides us with a couple simple ways to self-check our use cases to ensure that they include the appropriate level of detail, but aren’t reaching too far into design.

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Economist Sowell on… Usability!

by | Dec 27, 2007 | | 0 |

I love reading Thomas Sowell’s articles on economics and its social and political ramifications. His “Basic Economics” book broke down the basics of supply and demand as well as other economic principles in a way even I could understand! Today, however, his article was a rant on how hard today’s electronic gadgets are to use.

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What are user stories, and why should I use them?

by | Nov 3, 2007 | | 2 |

I have used user stories – or at least something similar – to help me identify user requirements, but have never used them as the means of documenting requirements. I am somewhat familiar with the concept, though, and have been interested in learning more.

I found a great deal of help in Mike Cohn’s article, Advantages of User Stories for Requirements. In this article, Cohn explains user stories and the advantages of using them over traditional, natural language requirements and use cases.

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