Re: [AM] justify modeling (Why Model?)

I am arguing for modeling precisely because I believe that the greater
risk is of building the wrong thing. However, as noted, I believe the
way to address that is to present the customers with low-resolution,
probably paper, models of the user experience, watch them use the
models, and iterate several times before trying to implement it in code.
The low-resolution models can provide more of the user experience than a
sketchy, partial system would, the models can be changed and iterated
much faster, and user validation is the most important thing at that
stage.

I am always blissfully optimistic that the implementation is a SMOP and
can be figured out.  It's designing the product, not the code, that
has to be done first and is best approached with models.

scott


| From: Steven Gordon<[email protected]>
|
| From: Scott E. Preece [mailto:[email protected]]
| 
| > The point is to try to write the code once and do limited refactoring
| > afterward, as opposed to writing it once, throwing it away, writing it
| > again, throwing it away, etc., while you try to decide whether you're
| > going at it the right way.  Models are cheaper than code, so it's MORE
| > AGILE to do the early iterations in that form.
| 
| It depends on whether you believe the bigger risk in the early iterations is:
| 1. that the requirements for the first few stories have been
| miscommunicated or misunderstood, or  
| 2. that the developers do not have the skills to write reasonably
| simple, well-designed code for the first few stories. 
| 
| If I believed 2 was the bigger risk, then manditory up front modeling
| might be the way to go.   
| 
| However, all my experience indicates that 1 is by far the bigger risk
| (even with newby developers). I believe it is critical to get some
| working software in front of the customer for the sake of getting
| feedback on the current requirements and taking a big step towards the
| shared understanding that will improve the quality, communication, and
| understanding of the next set of stories.   
| 
| So, I would want my developers to do just enough informal modeling to
| write reasonably simple, well-designed code for the stories they are
| implementing. 
 

-- 
scott preece
motorola urbana design center (il67), 1800 s. oak st., champaign, il  61820  
e-mail:	[email protected]	fax:	217-384-8550
phone:	217-384-8589	cell: 217-433-6114	pager: [email protected]

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