Deadly errors in the software design

1. DEAD BY USE CASE #1
DEADLY ERRORS IN THE SOFTWARE DESIGN

2. Typical Use Case
WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT?
A User wants to perform an action ABC and he/
she presses a button XYZ in MY APP
…Just one small word - “and”
A User wants to perform an action ABC and he
presses a button XYZ in MY APP

3. Deadly Assumption
BEHIND 99% OF USE CASES THERE IS “THE SILENT
ASSUMPTION”:
“A user WANTS to use MY APP and ONLY MY APP”
!
And this assumption IS TOTALY WRONG

4. Lesson From Sales and
Psychology
HOW DO PEOPLE MAKE THEIR DECISIONS?
Feel the need -> Discover possible solutions ->
Select one -> Act
HOW DO WE CONSTRUCT OUR USE CASES?
Feel the need -> Act (in our App)
!
SEE THE DIFFERENCE?

5. How To Fix?
REMOVE THE SILENT ASSUMPTION!
A User wants to perform an action ABC and he/
she…
…selects MY APP because of A,B,C,D
…and presses the button XYZ
ADD THE SELECTION CRITERIA!

6. But… How Can I Be Sure..
… THAT THE USER DOES SELECT MY APP?
!
YOU CANNOT, SO - TEST IT!
!
WHAT ARE YOU TESTING?
!
You are testing the ability of YOUR APP to “SELL ITSELF” to
the user

7. How To Test?
FIND THE USER’S CRITERIA FOR SOLUTION SELECTION THROUGH:
Observations in the real context
Questions/Interviews
Being a user yourself
Check competitors
!
USUALLY THERE ARE THREE OR FOUR OF MAIN CRITERIA

8. I Found Criteria, What Is
Next?
MAKE SURE, THAT THE USERS RATE YOUR APP HIGH IN THIS
CRITERIA AND KEEP TRACKING THEM

9. THANK YOU
ANDREY.VERBITSKY@GMAIL.COM