The team from Redvespa will demonstrate techniques for creating mock-ups and prototypes as well as discuss the benefits of early expectation management. Using PowerPoint, Visio, and SharePoint they will design an interface and functioning pilot system in a simulated workshop environment.  Turning a business stakeholder into an evangelist can be as simple as allowing them to visualise the solution. 

Often in the requirements gathering process, standard documentation, process charts, UML diagrams and data listings just don't sum up and raise interest levels of sponsors and stakeholders in projects. They need to visualise what the end products might look like, how it might function, and what the customer experience will be like, and don't necessarily want to read a thick document and interpret technical diagrams. Portraying end-results in turn helps ongoing project expenditure and profile.

Special design skills or knowledge of tools like Photoshop, HTML, and Dreamweaver, etc is not required in order to present concepts and designs to stakeholders and the rest of your project team. Once a medium-level set of requirements have been collected, BAs can start mocking up user interfaces and customer experiences in common tools such as PowerPoint, Visio or open source alternatives.  You can even create real working prototypes, without development knowledge, in tools such as SharePoint or Access. These can be used to test customer experiences, application of brand, and the real-life mechanics of processes that have been mapped by the BA.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will see how to use readily available tools to create mock-ups and conceptual prototypes on the fly, in parallel to requirements analysis

• Participants will learn how using mock-ups and proto-typing increases upfront understanding and buy-in from stakeholders, development partners, and testing teams

Skill Level:       Intermediate