2011/2/23 Yuval Levy <[email protected]> > On February 21, 2011 03:32:18 pm Gregory Pittman wrote: > > > very interesting idea to write the manual first :) > > > > If we do this, it would be nice if some could show some prototype ideas > > of what this might look like or how this might work. What would the > > workflow be? How would documenters interact with coders? > > this discussion about writing the manual first has been going on for a few > days now... and nobody has mentioned things such as mock ups or functional > specifications? > > Well written specs are like a very detailed manual but you don't want to > unleash them on the user because of too much detail that is relevant to > analysis and coding but not to usage. > > It's a chicken and egg problem. or a feedback loop. > > First there is a vision. It is analyzed, dissected, recomposed and fleshed > out; articulated into specifications including screens mock ups and > functional > specs. > > Then it is implemented into code and manual. The processes are parallel > and > influence each other, with close/fast feedback loops. > > In an ideal world the initial analysis is so perfect; both coders and > copywriters get it the first time so that when the software and the manual > are > delivered to the users, all they can say is wow! > > In reality nobody is perfect. The analysts are likely to miss something in > the func specs; the coders are likely to interpret / implement different > than > intended; the tester are likely to find new ideas that would significantly > influence the vision that the analyst had not thought of in the first > place; > and so the stage is set for the next cycle leading to v+1. > > Simply taking a user manual as a specification document is not enough. If > it > is, that manual is not user-friendly. > > There is no perfect workflow either, just put the people in the same room > and > get them to talk, talk, talk, until they understand each other, develop a > common sense of purpose and leverage each other's skills. > > But it is not a user manual to drive the development. It is use cases, > analyzed and articulated into mock ups and func specs. >
Thanks Yuv for putting this into words. I guess we can say that LGM is a good place for that. Put the people in one room and get them to understand eachother. Now, that's a plan ! Louis > > Yuv > > _______________________________________________ > CREATE mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/create > >
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