A Conceptual Overview

Presentation: 60 minutesQ&A: 30 minutes

Why this Presentation?

– To update on progress – To obtain feedback– Facilitate the next phase of development

What This Presentation Covers

• Outlines issues with the current development process

• How EpioDesigner proposes to tackle these issues

• The EpioDesigner set of tools• Testing our methodology: the PR

application• Refining the development process• Open Q&A session

The Problem – ‘Language barrier’

• Difficult to capture requirements and manage expectations

• Assumptions and information gaps

• Information loss• Hard to capture and

track all information• Inefficient and

inaccurate prototyping

• More information loss

• Repetition and lack of reuse

• Lengthy implementation time

The Solution – Common information pool

• Structured information capture

• Information is centralised and integrated

• More efficiency, consistency and reuse

• Provides a mechanism to speak the same language

So What Is Epiodesigner?

• It’s a set of tools…– Manages the solution lifecycle via a

common information pool• Co-ordinates multidisciplinary teams• Captures requirements and system design• Facilitates prototyping process• Produces template applications

• …and a process– Structures and co-ordinates the current

software lifecycle– Not restricted to building web applications

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation Testing Deployment

The current solution processROLES

SOLUTION PROCESS

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation Testing Deployment

PROBLEMS

• Inefficient analysis and design methodology

• Insufficient time spent prototyping

• Long implementation time• Insufficient testing• Deployment difficulties

Client UsersBusiness Analysis Design Development

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation Testing Deployment

The EpioDesigner solutionROLES

SOLUTION PROCESS

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

SOLUTION TOOLS

SOLUTION METADATA

Client UsersBusiness Analysis Design Development

Project Analysis & Design Prototyping Development Testing Support

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation Testing Deployment

The EpioDesigner solutionROLES

SOLUTION PROCESS

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

SOLUTION TOOLS

SOLUTION METADATA

Client UsersBusiness Analysis Design Development

System Design

Project Analysis & Design Prototyping Development Testing Support

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation Testing Deployment

The EpioDesigner solutionROLES

SOLUTION PROCESS

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

SOLUTION TOOLS

SOLUTION METADATA

Client UsersBusiness Analysis Design Development

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Project Analysis & Design Prototyping Development Testing Support

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation Testing Deployment

The EpioDesigner solutionROLES

SOLUTION PROCESS

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

SOLUTION TOOLS

SOLUTION METADATA

Client UsersBusiness Analysis Design Development

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation

PrototypingProject Analysis & Design Development Testing Support

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation Testing Deployment

The EpioDesigner solutionROLES

SOLUTION PROCESS

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

SOLUTION TOOLS

SOLUTION METADATA

Client UsersBusiness Analysis Design Development

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation

PrototypingProject Analysis & Design Support

Testing

Development Testing

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation Testing Deployment

The EpioDesigner solutionROLES

SOLUTION PROCESS

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

SOLUTION TOOLS

SOLUTION METADATA

Client UsersBusiness Analysis Design Development

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation

PrototypingProject Analysis & Design

Testing

Development SupportTesting

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation Testing Deployment

The EpioDesigner solutionROLES

SOLUTION PROCESS

RequirementsAnalysis

RequirementsAnalysis

SOLUTION TOOLS

SOLUTION METADATA

Client UsersBusiness Analysis Design Development

System Design

Proto- typing

User Testing

Implementation Testing Deployment

PrototypingProject Analysis & Design SupportDevelopment Testing

The Metadata LayerEntities Patterns Styler

Data Modeling

Specifications

documentsProject Reports

Framework-typeapplications

Epiowaveapplications

Prototypes

Business Analysis implications

• Integration of relevant CAM components

• Structured scripts and questionnaires to get the accurate information from the client including…– Role Control Diagrams– Process Diagrams

• Increased client satisfaction• Less guesswork and less meetings

The Epiodesigner set of tools

• Project Manager• Role Manager• Entity Manager• Navigation Manager• Workspace Manager• Pattern Manager• Styler• Usability Tester

Entity Manager

• An Entity:– is unique to other objects in the system– is managed by an application– contains more than one piece of

information – has properties and actions

• An Entity is not:– a role in the system– a collection of properties that are captured

elsewhere in other entities

[ ]

Entity Manager

• Associated entity and pattern

• General or specific• Display options• Validation

• Associated entities• Display options• Pattern behaviours• Interface controls• Validation• Data Model

• Siblings• Parent to child

RolesRelationships

Properties Actions

[ ]

Entity examples

• These entities are from the PR application, our test-case in-house application

SIBLINGContributionContribution Press ReleasePress Release

CommentComment

Digital RecordDigital Record

CommentComment

Digital RecordDigital Record

PARENT TO CHILD PARENT TO CHILD

PARENT TO CHILD PARENT TO CHILD

Entity Manager -Relationships

Entity Manager - Properties

Entity Manager - Properties

Entity Manager - Properties

Entity Manager - Actions

Entity Manager - Actions

Entity Manager - Actions

Entity Reuse

• Default preset properties and actions • Categorised entity library for reuse• Functionality templates

– Groupings of default actions– Extensible and scalable

• Import and export via standard formats (UML, E-R…)

• On-sell potential– Client subscription to libraries– Client submission to libraries

Navigation Manager

• Adds to entity information • Transforms entity actions into navigation

structures• Manages navigation hierarchy, appearance

and behaviour

[ ]

WORKSPACE

Workspace Manager

• Link between patterns and navigation• Library of workspaces for reuse and

consistencyNAVIGATION

PATTERN

PATTERN PATTERN

[ ]

[ ] [ ]

Pattern Manager

• A pattern is:– a way of visualising and interacting with data

– a predefined managed piece of functionality– applied to none or more entities, which it then

controls and visualises• Patterns have options that affect their behaviours • A pattern can be applied to specified properties of an

entity• A Pattern is not like a transform, it is metadata

required to produce both prototypes and applications

Pattern Manager

• Patterns are mainly based on Epiowave V2 design standards

Pattern Manager

• List– List – Simple– List – Select Single– List – Select Multiple– List – Categorised

• Confirm– Confirm/Report

• Details– Details – View– Details – Edit– Details – Enter

• Others– Reorder– Tree-view

• There are four groups of patterns:

Pattern Manager

• List pattern types

Simple ListList – Select SingleList – Select MultipleList - Categorised

Pattern Manager

• List pattern types

Simple ListList – Select SingleList – Select MultipleList - Categorised

Pattern Manager

• List pattern types

Simple ListList – Select SingleList – Select MultipleList - Categorised

Pattern Manager

• List pattern types

Simple ListList – Select SingleList – Select MultipleList - Categorised

Pattern Manager

• Details pattern types

Details – ViewDetails – EditDetails – Enter

Pattern Manager

• Details pattern types

Details – ViewDetails – EditDetails – Enter

Pattern Manager

• Details pattern types

Details – ViewDetails – EditDetails – Enter

Pattern Manager

• Confirm pattern type

Confirm and Report

Pattern Manager

• Reorder pattern type

Reorder

Pattern Manager

• Tree-view pattern type

Tree-View

Pattern Manager

• Using pattern options (some examples)

LinksPropertiesNumeric PagingPage CountingSimple SearchDisplay QuantitySort ByAdd IconAlphabetical Filtering

Pattern Manager

• Using pattern options (some examples)

LinksPropertiesNumeric PagingPage CountingSimple SearchDisplay QuantitySort ByAdd IconAlphabetical Filtering

Pattern Manager

• Using pattern options (some examples)

Links PropertiesNumeric PagingPage CountingSimple SearchDisplay QuantitySort ByAdd IconAlphabetical Filtering

Pattern Manager

• Using pattern options (some examples)

Links Properties Numeric PagingPage CountingSimple SearchDisplay QuantitySort ByAdd IconAlphabetical Filtering

Pattern Manager

• Using pattern options (some examples)

Links Properties Numeric PagingPage CountingSimple SearchDisplay QuantitySort ByAdd Icon Alphabetical Filtering

Pattern Manager

• Using pattern options (some examples)

Links Properties Numeric PagingPage CountingSimple SearchDisplay QuantitySort ByAdd IconAlphabetical Filtering

Pattern Manager

• Using pattern options (some examples)

Links PropertiesNumeric PagingPage CountingSimple SearchDisplay QuantitySort ByAdd IconAlphabetical Filtering

Pattern Manager

• Using pattern options (some examples)

Links PropertiesNumeric PagingPage CountingSimple SearchDisplay QuantitySort ByAdd IconAlphabetical Filtering

Pattern Manager

• Using pattern options (some examples)

Links PropertiesNumeric PagingPage CountingSimple SearchDisplay QuantitySort ByAdd IconAlphabetical Filtering

Builder

• Creates and links workspaces, patterns and navigation from the entity metadata

[ ]

Exporting the prototype

• Prototypes are disposable• Prototypes are exported in different

modes, for different disciplines– Client– Developer illustration– User-testing– Role-specific exports

• Prototype metadata is refined iteratively, then re-exported Build

Styler

• Customise colour skins, icons and corporate branding

Usability Tester

• Prototypes can be exported in user-testing mode

• Interactive evaluation forms • Highlight areas with a high density of

functionality for testing

A Better Result

Design Development

• Prototype driven:

P

SOLUTION METADATA

• Metadata driven:

Design Development

P

???

A Better Result

Design Development

• Prototype driven:

P

SOLUTION METADATA

• Metadata driven:

Design Development

P

???

Further Thoughts

• ‘Flight-check’ process – Identifies weak or missing metadata– Rates/checks the project against best-practice, and

for conflicts and usability issues

• Clients can check current status of their project

Summary

• EpioDesigner:– is the bridge to better integrate software

development teams– centralises all information during the

development process– Provides formalised requirements analysis

and specification structure– produces more accurate and realistic

prototypes– automatically code-generates entire

applications

Deployment

Summary

Metadata

EntityManager

PatternManager

NavigationManager

WorkspaceManager

Styler

UsabilityTester

ExportBusinessAnalysis

The EpioDesigner process is not linear…

Summary

BusinessAnalysis

DeploymentMetadata

EntityManager

PatternManager

NavigationManager

WorkspaceManager

Styler

UsabilityTester

Export

…but circular and iterative…

Summary

BusinessAnalysis

DeploymentMetadata

…integrates various disciplines…

Summary

… Leading to More efficiency, consistency and reuse

Questions & answers