Cathy Sargent, a senior business system analyst at the Jackson Laboratory, emphasizes the importance of involving business analysts in user interface design to enhance user experience and meet functional requirements. The presentation outlines common software development failures, the benefits of using mockups early in the software development lifecycle, and how they can facilitate clearer requirements and better stakeholder engagement. By utilizing mockups, teams can improve communication, save time, and reduce the need for costly rework.

1. BT2
Session
6/9/16 10:00 AM
Use Business Analysts for User
Interface Design
Presented by:
Cathy Sargent
The Jackson Laboratory
Brought to you by:
350 Corporate Way, Suite 400, Orange Park, FL 32073
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2. Cathy Sargent
The Jackson Laboratory
A senior business system analyst at The Jackson Laboratory, Cathy Sargent
leverages her background in software quality assurance to approach functional
and business requirements with a Murphy's Law attitude. The challenging and
innovative science behind the unique technology needs of the Laboratory
necessitate that business and functional requirements are fully met and the user
experience is consistent in an application. Cathy draws on her knowledge of
software configuration management and software testing to focus on process
improvement and documentation while implementing ERPs, LIMS, and web-
based applications in validated environments.

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Use Business
Analysts for User
Interface Design
Better Software West – June 2016
Cathy Sargent, The Jackson Laboratory
Introduction
2
! A Senior Business System Analyst at The Jackson
Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine
! Started career in Software Quality Assurance
! Implementation of ERPs, LIMS, and web based
applications
o Validated and non-validated environments

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Introduction
3
! The Jackson Laboratory is an independent
nonprofit organization leveraging eight decades of
expertise in genetics and genomics to increase
understanding of human disease and discover
precise genomic solutions
! Over 1800 employees
located across 3 campuses
o Bar Harbor, Maine
o Sacramento, California
o Farmington, Connecticut
Introduction - JAX Facts
4
! 2.5 million JAX® Mice distributed yearly
o A mouse with a specific disease or condition
can serve as a model or stand-in for a human
patient with that same disease or condition
! More than 8,000 varieties are available
as breeding mice, frozen embryos, or
DNA samples

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Introduction - JAX People
5
! More than 250 Ph.D.s, M.D.s, and D.V.M.s researching
o Cancers
o Computational biology and bioinformatics
o Developmental and reproductive biology
o Immunology
o Metabolic diseases
o Neurobiology
! 26 Nobel prizes associated with JAX research,
resources, and education
Objectives
6
! Typical software development failures
! Using Mockups early in the SDLC, it will help!
o Elicit requirements
o Confirm use cases
o Establish mutual understanding
o Promote buy-in
o Benefits Developers, Trainers, Testers, and Project Managers
o Save time, reduce re-work
! Examples and Tools
! Q & A

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Typical Software
Development
Failures
What comes to mind first?
7
Typical Software Failures
8
! Unrealistic
schedules
! Inaccurate estimates
! Inadequate Testing
! Scope creep
! Unmanaged risks
! Poor communication
! Use of immature
technology
! Poor Architecture
! Solution not intuitive
to users
! Poorly defined
requirements
! Estimates are too
optimistic
! Sloppy development
practices
! Poor teamwork
! Poor project
management
! Stakeholder politics
! Lack of user input
! Commercial
pressures
! Lack of skilled
resources
! Inability to handle the
project's complexity

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Typical Software Failures we'll
discuss
9
! Unrealistic
schedules
! Inaccurate estimates
! Inadequate Testing
! Scope creep
! Unmanaged risks
! Poor communication
! Use of immature
technology
! Poor Architecture
! Solution not intuitive
to users
! Poorly defined
requirements
! Estimates are too
optimistic
! Sloppy development
practices
! Poor teamwork
! Poor project
management
! Stakeholder politics
! Lack of user input
! Commercial
pressures
! Lack of skilled
resources
! Inability to handle the
project's complexity
What defines success?
10
! Success isn't always measurable
! It depends on who you ask!
o "Projects that are delivered on time, within budget and meet
scope specifications may not necessarily perceived to be
successful by key stakeholders." - Jack S. Duggal, MBA, PMP
! The judgment of your users matters
o If the system doesn't meet their needs then ultimately it fails

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Poorly defined requirements
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! Any design is as good as the completeness
and correctness of the requirements
! If requirements are poor, the end result is
usually unhappy users
! High Quality requirements are fundamental
to a successful solution
Lack of User participation
12
! Don't always know what they want
! May be reluctant to tell you what they need
! Sometimes omit 'obvious' information
! Have a poor understanding of
o Software capabilities
o Software limitations
! Resource constraints limit user's availability

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Poor communication
13
! Lack of collaboration/planning
! Customers request functionality but sometimes don't
see it until the final testable product
! Developers/Designers may be interpreting the look and
feel of the application based on the requirements
! QA may not be involved until testing
! Trainers may not see the application until the final
testable product
Inaccurate estimates
14
! Estimates are often made based on
previous experiences
! One person estimating for another
! Estimating backwards from a target date
! Base the estimate on vague information
! Incorrect interpretation of requirements

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Solution not intuitive to Users
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! User experience matters
! Bad user interface can
drive users away
! Design not consistent
! Too difficult to navigate
Using Mockups
early in the SDLC
Create an Intuitive User Experience
16

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Mockups, Wireframes, Prototypes
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! Wireframes – skeleton, used to understand space and
structure
! Mockups – models the application, shows the user
interaction with the application
! Prototypes - early samples, models, or releases of a
product built to test a concept or process
! All of these are useful!
Wireframes
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Mockups
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Prototypes
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What do you need to start?
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! For Mockups to be successful you should already have
o Scope
o User request / high level user requirements
o Decision on solution
! Building from scratch
! Customizing an off the shelf solution
How using Mockups will help
22
! Elicit requirements
! Confirm use cases
! Establish mutual understanding
! Promote buy-in
! Benefits Trainers, Testers, and Project Manager
planning
! Save time, reduce re-work

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Elicit Requirements
23
! "What would you like the system to do?"
o Ask this question only if you want:
! Blank stares
! A memory dump of everything the user knows about the process
! A list of only exceptions
! The end goal is clear language, accuracy, quality, and
completeness
Confirm Use Cases and Establish
Mutual understanding
24
! Model business processes
! Easy to edit platform
! Link fields and forms to show the user interactions with
the system
o Actors, triggers, results, and alternate paths
! BA interpretations of the business needs is displayed
in visual format

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Promote buy-in
25
! Develop a 'walkthrough'
! Users see how the system will function
o Examples of their data right in the Mockups (content)
o See transactions and flow of the data (interaction)
! Gain end-user buy-in early in the SDLC
o Users helped design the look and feel of the system
Planning Benefits
26
! Properly scope the solution
o Better overall design – does it fit?
! Start planning deliverables
! Allows for better estimates
o More accurate deadlines

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Save Time, reduce re-work
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! No coding in design iterations
o Quicker
o Less Costly
! Catch missed requirements
! Identify gaps
! Visual representation of the application before
development starts
! Mockups take time to produce, the gain is in the
reduction of development re-work
Examples and
Tools
28

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Tools
29
! Generally anything that allows print screens, doodles,
illustrations, and notes will work
! Software:
o Balsamiq Mockups https://balsamiq.com/products/mockups/
o UXPin https://www.uxpin.com/
o Mockingbird https://gomockingbird.com/
o Mockup Builder http://mockupbuilder.com/
An Example for Practice
30
! A user request:
o Our new airline company 'Agile Airlines' is launching and we'll
need to provide our customers the ability to check in for their
flights
! Example scope:
o Check in for flight
o Allow the changing of seats as available
o Add extras, like baggage or pay for upgraded seats
o Review, make payment, and check in

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Assumptions?
31
! Let's take a second and write down a few design
assumptions we are already making
Example Mockup – Elicit
Requirements
32
! This is a new Kiosk self–serve application, not
online. This is not for the handling agent.
! Not everyone that uses this will speak English.

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Example Mockup – Elicit
Requirements
33
! We only fly domestic, so 30 minutes prior to
flight is the cut off time.
! Customers that have more than 6 people in
their party cannot use Kiosk check-in.
Example Mockup – Elicit
Requirements
34
! Could we see if the flight is on time?
! We offer a frequent flyer program so the customer needs
a place to enter their account number in.
! Can we see the seats in a map when we click?

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Example Mockup – Elicit
Requirements
35
! Customers that are traveling with infant,
require special assistance, or need medical
certification cannot self check-in.
Example Mockup – Elicit
Requirements
36
! By law we need a baggage disclosure.
! Can we just have buttons for the # of bags instead?
! Customers that have more than 3 bags to check must see the
handling agent.

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Example Mockup – Elicit
Requirements
37
! Can we show the upgrade cost when
the user selects a seat?
Example Mockup – Elicit
Requirements
38
! Can we ask the user to confirm the amount due?

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Example Mockup – Elicit
Requirements
39
! We need to provide the ability to say no for printing a receipt.
! Can the customer have an authorization status presented to them?
Example Mockup – Establish
Mutual Understanding
40
! We have:
o Elicited more detailed requirements
o Started to form use case in a visual format
! We see:
o Interactions with the system
! We can:
o Further identify the exceptions
o Repeat the walkthrough

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41
Example Mockup – Establish
Mutual Understanding, use cases
Example Mockup – Promote buy-in
42
! Develop a 'walkthrough'
of the use cases to
share with your SMEs
! Walkthroughs can be
simple screen shots in a
power point
! Some mockup tools
allow you to action the
button clicks and links

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Example Mockup – Planning
Benefits
43
! Seeing this mockup example can you see planning
benefit is across roles?
o Developers
o Testers
o Trainers
o Project Managers
Planning Benefits
44
! Developers:
o Improvement of estimations
o Early design review
o Attend the meetings and contribute right alongside the users
! Help Trainers and QA:
o Easier to understand the testing & training scope
o Early start to documents that normally require you to see the
application
! Project Managers:
o Clearer scope, clearer requirements, better estimates

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Example Mockup – Reduce rework
45
! In the example the visual aids helped elicit
requirements that could have been gaps
! Changing these mockups was much quicker than
changing code
! There are still many more requirements that could be
captured in this simple example
o Did any of your initial assumptions receive clarity?
o Did you find yourself thinking of design improvements during
the example edits?
Real World
Examples from
JAX
46

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Establish Mutual Understanding
47
! Confusing processes mocked-up to clarify
Confirm Use Cases & Scenarios

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Promote buy-in
49
! Use walkthroughs in the actual lab or with props
Translate Mockups to formal
Requirements
50

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Test script design
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Delivered Functionality
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! Example of the mockup and a final product

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Operational Change Requests
53
In Closing
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! Using Mockups will allow your users to be more
involved with the design, enhancing user experience
! The interpretations of requirements are visually
represented with improved feedback loops
! Expanded communication across all team members
! Added clarity for better estimates

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Q & A
55
References
56
! The Jackson Laboratory www.jax.org
! Duggal, Jack S. "Next Level Up:How Do You Measure Project
Success? Rethinking the Triple Constraint." How Do You Measure
Project Success? Rethinking the Triple Constraint. PMI, 9 July
2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
! Balsamiq Mockups https://balsamiq.com/products/mockups/
! UXPin https://www.uxpin.com/
! Mockingbird https://gomockingbird.com/
! Mockup Builder http://mockupbuilder.com/