> >The most popular (or so it seems) right now is UML (Unified Modeling > >Language). > Years ago, at BlueCross & BlueShield, I was taught to use Use Case (UC) > methodology but I guess UML is gaining ground. > > > >In UML you start "Top down". You first assign roles to each > participating > >user or system (these are "Actors") and then model, in increasing more > >detail, how these actors interact. > Sounds similar to UC.
I'm not sure if they are different - Use Cases are a MAJOR aspect of UML. I would bet that the UC you learned is a subset or an ancestor of UML. UML is really a flow of many processes - different tools at different phases. Use Cases are primarily done in the early, discovery phase (Use Cases represent the possible actions/paths of the actors). I was "raised" on Summit-D which is OKAy, but focuses much, much more on documentation than process. We claim to use UML at Met, but it's a partial implementation at best. > >I think what you mean by "Interface Assessment" is what we called > "Usability > >Inventory" - an after the fact usability review. These are good if you > >failed to do usability during the project cycle, but are by their nature > >attempts to fix something rather than build it correctly the first time. > I was alerted to a potential project essentially called "XYZ Interface > Assessment", and this XYZ may very well be a legency system/application. It's probably the same thing. The basic idea is just going through an existing site/package/tool/whatever and making usability focused comments. I've heard many different names - but the results are pretty much all the same. > I agree it's never enough to stress the importance of usability through > project phases. Probably, application or system may be more > representative than "site" since the former could cover legency system as > well. More than that - the same (or at least very similair) skills are used in industrial human factors work as well: where do you put the radio knobs in car? What shape should they be? Where should the doors of a hotel be located in relation to the front desk? Pretty much everything you touch has had (or could damn well use!) usability work done on it. One of the better books on the subject is "The Design of Useful Things" - pretty light reading, but totally engrossing. I've got a bunch of my favorite links here: http://www.depressedpress.com/DepressedPress/Content/WebDesign/Resources/Ind ex.cfm Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=4 FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4
