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First progress report


Team members:

Javier Velez

Ali Hassani


Another look at EDC:


When we went and took another look at EDC, we saw that a project like this would have never existed if there wasn't a true collaboration from the end users. It is a system designed for the end users by end users through their input. It is also a true implementation and application of the design and collaboration principles that the concept of meta-design is built on. The design and collaboration principles are applied to a system intended for use to solve many problems.

From taking a look at a project like EDC, we can deduct that end users or stakeholders are the best source of requirements and specifications to most of the projects. We are past the era where we are designing operating systems and needing input from experts of the field rather than regular people. This era is characterized by applying all the new things that the advancement in technology has brought to us into our everyday lives, therefore user input and meta-design is a very necessary component to make systems that suit users needs. Therefore motivating users to learning about the systems they are using has become a must.

Tools to motivate users:


We found, from re-studying the EDC and CLEVER, that adopting the technique of "role playing" could turn out to be a motivator for end users because it is a fun activity (everyone likes plating roles) and the goals that are deducted from it are very beneficial for the project and illustrate for the most part what the input of a general user will look like.

"Role playing" is very easy to perform and does not require much out of the users, all they have to do is study their roles well, and that will be enough for a first step in motivating users. The nice thing about that is that when users learn about their roles in a certain project, they are learning about the project in parallel, and if they come back to play an advanced role in the same project, then they will learn more and more as they go on and they will contribute more and more to the design through the continuous input that they are giving.

"Role playing" is a great motivator for users to learn more about the product they are receiving, the question now is what kind of design mechanisms would support the concept of meta-design? We all know that redoing the design of a certain system could turn out to be costly, so what is the design idea that seems best to encourage continuous user input without slowing or making design expensive?

We introduce the Incremental design model

The incremental design model:


The incremental model divides any project worked on into a sequence of increments. The system is put into production when the first increment is delivered. As time passes additional increments are completed and added to the working system. This approach is favored by many object-oriented practitioners. This approach could be considered an approach that encourages meta-design, because it encourages users input throughout the development process and does not turn out to be costly like other models are if specifications change or better ideas appear.

Incremental model would be one of the design tools that would illustrate and encourage meta-design to create systems that suit users needs and that take input from users at anytime of the development process without having to abandon any phase of the project.

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