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Tony,
What I set out as steps aren't sequential, more
often than not they are concurrent. Audience and
task analysis is usually taking place at the same time
that you're learning (analyzing)
the product.
Tony Markos responds:
I basically agree with you on this Damien. With Data
Flow Diagrams (my favorite analysis tool), task
analysis and product analysis, particuarly at the
middle and lower levels of a multi-level diagram, are
all melded together. That is, DFD functions encompase
both manual tasks or automated tasks. (Note: DFDs do
not encompase audience analysis.)
But I do espouse one caveat, and DFDs provide an
excellent vehicle for expressing it. With DFDs we
proceed in as top down a fashion as possible. And the
higher the level the function, the more likely it
going to be an expression of end-user goals/tasks -
and the less likely it is going to be implementation
oriented (i.e., product oriented). So the first steps
in doing analysis with DFDs (and with DFDs, the first
steps are the most important) is to give rigorous
consideration to essential end-user goals tasks - and
postpone product-related considerations.
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