I think this discussion is probably the best example of the beginnings
of developing that process. It is a lot more difficult to do with
diagrams and ideas than code and text, which lend themselves to much
more computer regexy crunching.
I think it is worth abstracting a little what need to goes on rather
than hook onto a specific tool just yet (especially a commercial one).
From what we have so far from the suggestions are:
- A need to break down the design (and docs) in a modular way
- A need to be able see that documentation in a merged form
- A need to be able overly 'layers' as a kind of versioning process
- A need to make changes that percolate through all the other modules
and docs
By the way, the thing that immediately comes to mind is the kind of
process used for those giant lithographs of microchip circuits and/or
the way four-colour printing works (or used to) when the printer would
overlay the films together and immediately be able to spot an error or
misalignment visually.
That's at least for the middle or latter stages and that part I can
see managed by some kind of tool than a person (which is what mostly
happens on projects right? One of us is the, ahem, tool.)
I'm still finding it hard to imagine that working for the earlier,
importantly rougher parts of the process. I've done quite a few online
collaborative projects run globally across many countries with many
people and the brainstorming, back-of-the-napkin process is the
hardest bit to do, but where a lot of the magic happens.
Once things become a bit more refined (like a digitally created
wireframe rather than a napkin) it gets a bit easier to share and
modify.
But it would be good to be able to work out how that earlier part
could work well. And I think it would be good if the tools used for it
weren't proprietary. I wouldn't want an open source project to fall
over just because Adobe screwed up, oh I don't know, an installer or a
particular format.
Maybe simply being able to write notes on images of sketchpads (please
don't say 'digital whiteboard') like Flickr allows is another start.
This seems to be the way a lot of those links given above have worked.
FluidIA looks like a great start and is asking a lot of the right
questions. I think we do need to just do it as David says and then
find out what works and doesn't, but at the same time we need to ask
the right questions at the start to get the process even roughly lined
up IMHO.
Count me in. Somehow. ;-)
Best,
Andy
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Polaine
Interaction & Experience Design
Research | Writing | Education
Twitter: apolaine
Skype: apolaine
http://www.polaine.com
http://www.designersreviewofbooks.com
http://www.omnium.net.au
http://www.antirom.com
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