Communicating human-computer interaction design intent: Requirements for recycling throwaway prototypes

Two long-term participant observation case studies are summarized which investigated a commercial software production process following the introduction of a specialist human-computer interaction role in the development team. Results are presented as a conceptual model of ‘categories of influence’ in which the majority of categories are issues which effect mutual understanding within the team. Some of these categories are considered ‘facts’, whilst others are more dynamic and thereby more realistic targets for improvement. The use of visual prototyping is confirmed as a powerful method of sharing mutual understanding of the software under production and is suggested as a way of making improvements to several of the dynamic categories. However, flaws in this mode of use of visual prototypes are apparent from the data but ways in which a new approach to visual prototyping could have considerable potential are identified.