How to get user feedback in Lucid Spec Player?
The free Lucid Spec Player allows the authors of a Lucid Spec document to share it with other people (clients, colleagues, sub-constractors, etc - I'll call them all reviewers) who don't have the full Lucid Spec application. (Of course, we hope some of the reviewers will decide to get full copies of Lucid Spec...) The main reason to review the spec is to get feedback, and we've been thinking about different ways to capture feedback.
The most obvious approach is for the authors to sit with reviewers and watch them explore the spec. They can ask each other questions, clarify vague requirements or features, and brainstorm possible changes. This is easiest if everyone is in the same room, but can also work via web conferencing tools like Webex or Festoon.
Another approach is for the reviewers to write down comments and questions, and email them to the authors. We've gotten a lot of great feedback in this format for Lucid Spec, and we log it all in Trac. It takes a bit longer, and may disrupt the flow of simulating the application, especially if the reviewers have to wait for the authors to respond to questions.
We're thinking about ways that Lucid Spec (and especially the Player) could simplify this process. For example, Lucid Spec could generate feedback templates based on the document structure, so that reviewers could more easily comment on the spec, or even assign numerical ratings to specific pieces. Lucid Spec could also provide a way for reviewers to enter comments for each screen (perhaps with something like the Details panel), and an easy way to send those comments back to the authors, probably via email. We could also track the sequence of screens that reviewers examine (like the logs for web server), which could help the author understand what parts of the simulation attract the most attention.
In my experience, one of the best ways to improve a design is with rapid feedback and improvement. To quote Tom Peters: "test fast, fail fast, adjust fast". We'll continue to add features to Lucid Spec to make it easier to create and modify specifications, but we also need to find better ways to capture and use feedback.
The most obvious approach is for the authors to sit with reviewers and watch them explore the spec. They can ask each other questions, clarify vague requirements or features, and brainstorm possible changes. This is easiest if everyone is in the same room, but can also work via web conferencing tools like Webex or Festoon.
Another approach is for the reviewers to write down comments and questions, and email them to the authors. We've gotten a lot of great feedback in this format for Lucid Spec, and we log it all in Trac. It takes a bit longer, and may disrupt the flow of simulating the application, especially if the reviewers have to wait for the authors to respond to questions.
We're thinking about ways that Lucid Spec (and especially the Player) could simplify this process. For example, Lucid Spec could generate feedback templates based on the document structure, so that reviewers could more easily comment on the spec, or even assign numerical ratings to specific pieces. Lucid Spec could also provide a way for reviewers to enter comments for each screen (perhaps with something like the Details panel), and an easy way to send those comments back to the authors, probably via email. We could also track the sequence of screens that reviewers examine (like the logs for web server), which could help the author understand what parts of the simulation attract the most attention.
In my experience, one of the best ways to improve a design is with rapid feedback and improvement. To quote Tom Peters: "test fast, fail fast, adjust fast". We'll continue to add features to Lucid Spec to make it easier to create and modify specifications, but we also need to find better ways to capture and use feedback.
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