Storyboarding

• Storyboards, as used in the film industry, are a

portfolio of sketches which briefly tell a story to a
production team.
Software Requirements Engineering • Storyboards are the basis on which the story package
is sold to financial backers, or clients in the case of
commercials, and on which an artistic team
subsequently collaborates to develop the idea
Week 7 • Movies, cartoons, and animated features all begin with
storyboards that tell
– Who the players are (actors)
– What happens to them
– How it happens

Storyboarding Storyboarding and Software

• Storyboarding as a means to Requirements • Storyboards are sequences of images which demonstrate the
Development. relationship between individual screens and actions within a
system.
– The same is true in multimedia production, perhaps even more
so since teams in this area are still in the process of developing • A typical storyboard will contain a number of images depicting
a common cross-disciplinary language and, with development features such as menus, dialogue boxes and windows. The
tools still in the process of evolution, experience is not always formation of these screen representations into a sequence
there to draw on when it comes to the incorporation of more conveys further information regarding the structure,
obscure design elements. functionality and navigation options available within an
intended system.
• So what is a storyboard (wrt Software)?
• The storyboard can be shown to colleagues in a design team as
– A storyboard is an expression of everything that will be well as potential users, which allows others to visualize the
contained in the program -- what menu screens will look like,
what pictures (still and moving) will be seen when and for how composition and scope of an intended interface and offer
long, what audio and text will accompany the images, either critical feedback.
synchronously or hyperlinked. • This method can be used early in the design cycle where the
use of storyboards supports the exploration of design
possibilities and the early verification of user requirements.

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 Storyboarding
• Scripted walkthrough of system activities and/or • Storyboards can be passive, active, or interactive.
screen mockups • Passive
– Screen shots
• The purpose of storyboarding is to elicit early “Yes, – Business rules
But” reactions. – Output reports
• Storyboards identify the players, explain what • Active
happens to them, and describes how it happens. – Slideshow
– Animation
• Make the storyboard sketchy and easy to modify – Simulation
• Storyboard early and often on every project with new • Interactive
or innovative content. – Live demo
– Interactive presentation

Storyboarding: Benefits Limitations

• Help gather and refine customer requirements in a • Storyboards may lack the interactive quality of
user friendly way (promotes communication)
prototyping methods.
• Encourage creative and innovative solutions
• Encourage team review • Because of their simplicity, storyboards do not
• Prevent features no one wants support the evaluation of fine design detail.
• Ensure that features are • Storyboards do not accurately convey system
implemented in an accessible responsiveness.
and intuitive way
• Ease the interviewing process
• Avoid the blank-page syndrome
• Storyboards can be created quickly and easily.

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 Prototyping
• A prototype is a model not a refined and finished • Throw-away prototyping
product – A prototype which is usually a practical implementation of
• The principal use is to help customers and developers the system is produced to help discover requirements
understand the requirements for the system problems and then discarded. The system is then developed
– Requirements elicitation. using some other development process.
• Users can experiment with a prototype to see how the system
supports their work
– Requirements validation. • Evolutionary prototyping
• The prototype can reveal errors and omissions in the
requirements – An approach to system development where an initial
• Prototyping can be considered as a risk reduction prototype is produced and refined through a number of
activity which reduces requirements risks stages to the final system.

Throw-away Prototyping Prototyping benefits

• Prototype is developed from an initial specification, • Misunderstandings between software users and
delivered for experiment, then discarded. developers are exposed
• Missing services may be detected and confusing
• The throw-away prototype should not be considered services may be identified
as a final system. • The user interface is carefully designed and tailored to
the users' needs
Outline
requirements
Develop
prototype
Evaluate
prototype
Specify
system
• A working system is available early in the process
• The prototype may serve as a basis for deriving a
Reusable
components
system specification
• The user becomes involved more completely in the
Develop Validate
Delivered evolution of the product
software
software system system • The system can support user training and system
testing

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 Brainstorming Brainstorming
• A simple group techniques for generating ideas
• Allows people to suggest and explore ideas in an atmosphere
free of criticism or judgment
Rules for Brainstorming
• Brainstorming involves both idea generation and idea
reduction.
• The most creative, innovative ideas often result from
combining, seemingly unrelated ideas. • Clearly state the objective of the session
• Works best with a group of 4-10 people • Generate as many ideas as possible
• It is easy to learn and requires little overhead
• It is relatively unstructured process
• Let your imagination soar
• Various voting techniques may be used to prioritize the ideas • Do not allow criticism or debate
created.
• Although live brainstorming is preferred, web-based • Mutate and combine ideas
brainstorming may be a viable alternative in some situations

Brainstorming: Generation Brainstorming: Idea Reduction

1. Prepare • Discard redundant and outrageous ideas
– Stack of Post-Its for each participant • Store “needs more development” ideas
– Large markers for all • Blend ideas
2. Gather Ideas
• Prioritize those that remain
– Write it down
– Shout it out – Vote
– Facilitator posts on board • Single vote
3. Prune Ideas • Cumulative voting
– Combine like ideas – Buy features

– Eliminate outrageous ideas – Apply evaluation criteria

4. Organize Ideas • Non-weighted
– Move the cards around • Weighted
– Could organize by FURPS

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 Role Playing
• Role playing allows stakeholders to experience the
user’s world from the user’s perspective.
• A scripted walkthrough may replace role playing in
some situations, with the script becoming a live
storyboard
Q&A
• Generate system activities and/or screen mockups as
you go along
• Every member of the development team takes the
place of user and execute the customer’s work activity

Class-Responsibility-Collaboration (CRC) cards, often

used in object-oriented analysis, are a derivative of
role playing.