Appendix 3 - Blank forms to support User Requirements specification

These appendices contain blank forms for use in carrying out the stages of requirements specification.  They may be photocopied as required for completion.  The forms included are as follows:-

STAGE 1: user context and early design

Form  1.1  -  Project Summary

Form  1.2  -  Users and Stakeholders

Form  1.3 -  User group characteristic s

Form  1.4 -  Technical Environment

Form  1.5  -  Physical  Environment

Form  1.6  -  Social and Organisational Environment

Form  1.7  - User Goals and Tasks

Form  1.8  -  Current Process

Form 1.9 - Functions and features of similar systems

Form 1.10 - Design Ideas and Concepts

STAGE 2: prototyping and user test

Form  2.1  -  General usability goals 

Form  2.2 - Design Constraints

Form 2.3  -  Task Scenarios

Form 2.4- Propose New processes

Form 2.6- Task Walkthrough Feedback

Form 2.7 - User Cost-Benefits

STAGE 3: USER REQUIREMENTS documentation

Form 3.1  -  General System Characteristics

Form 3.3  -  task scenarios and interaction steps

Form 3.4 - technical Environment  requirements

Form 3.5.1 - System Functions

Form 3.5.2 - System Features

Form 3.6 - User Interface design

Form  3.7 - User Support Required

Form  3.8  -  Physical requirements

Form 3.9 - Social and Organisational Environment

Form 3.10 - Standards to Apply

Form  3.11.1  -  Usability Test Plan 

Form 3.11.2  -  Usability test Results

Form  3.12 - User Requirements Implementation Plan

Form 1.1 - Project Summary

1.1	Project Summary	
Questions 	Assumptions	
What is the system or service?	
	
What functions or services is it intended for the system to provide?		
What are the aims of the project?	
	
Who is the system intended for?
(Target market)		
Who will use the system?		
Why is the system needed?		
Where will the system be used?		
How will the system be used?		
How will the user obtain the system?		
How will the user learn to use the system?		
How will the system be installed?		
How will the system be maintained?		

Form  1.2 - Users and Stakeholders

1.2	Users and Stakeholders	
System name:
	
direct users	Role in system or use of system	Expand	

			

			

			

			
Indirect Users	Task goals		

			

			

			
 Each user group ticked may be described in the User context forms 1.3 to 1.6
        All goals for each user group will be listed in Form 1.7

Form 1.3 - User group characteristics

(Form completed for each user/stakeholder group listed in Form 1.2)

1.3	User group characteristics	
System name:	
User group:				 Form completed for users groups selected in Form 1.2
	
Characteristics
	Potential User Requirements	Ref.	
Size of user group			

			
Age range			

	

Gender			

	

Language and culture			

			
Educational level/Qualifications			

			
Physical limitations/Disabilities			

			
Special skills (e.g. touch typing, use of mouse, spatial awareness)			

		
	
	 Continued on next page	  Transfer to relevant Forms in Phase 3
		         e.g. Form 3.1 General system characteristics
		         or Form 3.4 Technical environment

1.3	User group characteristics (continued)	
Characteristics
	Potential User Requirements	Ref.	
Experience with similar systems			

	
		
IT Experience			

	

Knowledge of task			

	
		
Previous training			

			
Frequency of use			

	

Motivation to use			

	

Discretion to use			

		
	
Likely concerns			

			
Other relevant characteristics			

			
		  Transfer to relevant Forms in Phase 3
		         e.g. Form 3.1 General system characteristics
		         or Form 3.4 Technical environment

Form  1.4 - Technical environment

1.4	Technical Environment	
System name:		 Form completed for users groups selected in Form 1.2
User group:	
Characteristics	Potential User Requirements 	Ref.	
Hardware which user will interact with e.g. desktop PC, printer, kiosk.			

			

Software environment in which system will run
e.g. Windows, WWW Browser.			

			
Software  environment to be used to develop system.			

			
Other equipment required for use alongside system.			

			
Reference materials required either to perform tasks with system or to learn about or operate system			

			
		  Transfer to relevant Forms in Phase 3
		         e.g. Form 3.1 General system characteristics
		         or Form 3.4  Technical environment

Form 1.5 - Physical  Environment

1.5	Physical Environment	
System: 
User group: 
	
Characteristics	Potential User Requirements	Ref.	
Thermal and atmospheric environment			

			
Auditory Environment			

			
Vibration or instability			

			
Visual Environment			

			
Space and furniture			

			
User posture			

			
Location			

			
Health and Safety hazards			

			
Protective clothing and equipment			

			
	  Transfer to Form 3.8 Physical environment

Form 1.6 - Social and Organisational Environment

1.6	Social and Organisational Environment	
System: 
User group:  	
Characteristics	Potential  User Requirements	Ref.	
Staff and Management structure			

Communications  structure			

IT Policy			

		
Organisational aims			

			
Industrial Relations			

			
Performance monitoring			

Performance feedback			

Group working			

			
Assistance required or available			

	

Interruptions, stressful conditions			

		
	
	 Continued on next page	  Transfer to Form 3.9 Social and organisational
		         environment

1.6	Social and Organisational Environment (continued)	
System: 
User group:  	
Characteristics	User Requirements	Ref.	
Safety and Security			

Privacy			

Job function			

Hours of work			

Job flexibility			

Valued skills			

		  Transfer to Form 3.9 Social and organisational
		         environment

Form  1.7 - User Goals and Tasks

1.7	User Goals and Tasks	
System:

					

					

					

					

					

					

					
 Goals are expanded in ‘Review current process’,
            in Form 1.8.

Form 1.8 - Current Process

1.8	Current process	
User group: 
Sub-Goal:  	
Task Step	Problem/Task variation 	User requirement	Ref.	

				

				

				

				

				

				

				

				
	 All information used to generate	 Transfer to relevant forms 
	        task scenarios and propose new	        especially 3.5 Functions/Features
	        processes in Section 2.4

Form 1.9 - Functions and features of similar systems

1.9	Functions and features of similar systems	
System:
	
	Product name	Good feature to Include	Poor feature to Exclude	Ref.	
General ideas					

					

					

					

					
Goal Specific					

					

					

					

					

					
		 Transfer to 3.5 Functions and Features

Form 1.10 - Design Ideas and Concepts

1.10	Design ideas and concepts	
System: New bank machine
	
	Ideas and Concepts	COMMENTS	Take
Forward?
/Ref.	
General ideas				

				

				
Goal specific				

				

				

				

				

				
		 Transfer those taken forward to
		        Form 3.5 Functions and Features

Form 2.1 - General Usability Goals

2.1	General Usability Goals	
System: 
User: 
	
USABILITY GOAL
	User requirement with respect to Goal	Key  Goals	
Effectiveness
Quality or quantity of output/task completion.
			
Efficiency
Time to perform task, time compared with an expert.
			
Satisfaction 
Perceived satisfaction or enjoyment in using the system.
			
Learnability 
Ability to use the system help or manuals to perform the task.
			
Intuitiveness
Ability to perform the tasks with limited introduction.
			
Helpfulness/supportiveness
Ability to overcome problems that arise.
			
Controllability
Perceived feeling of being in control/tracking performance etc.
			
Avoiding excessive mental load
Perceived mental effort, or physical
indicators.
			
Avoiding excessive physical load
Heart rate, respiratory measurement.
			
Safety
To be able to operate the system safely.

Form 2.2 - Design Constraints

2.2	Design Constraints	
System: 
	Ref.	

		

		

		

		

Form 2.3 - Task Scenarios

2.3	Task Scenarios	
System:
User group:
 Based on Form 1.7, User goals and 1.8, Current processes.
	
ref. 	Scenario	Performance Aim	

			

			

			

			

			

			

				

Form 2.4 - Propose New processes

2.4	New processes	
User groups concerned: 
Goal:  	
Scenario	 Form completed for all user goals listed in Form 2.3

Performance Aim

Task Step	Possible Functions or Features	Include		Ref.	

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

	 Transfer to relevant forms 
	        especially 3.5 Functions/Features

Form 2.6- Task Walkthrough Feedback

2.6	Task walkthrough feedback							
System:
User group:
 Transferred from Form 2.3 Task scenarios.							
Task  scenario
		Comments		Modified or New System Requirement	Ref.	

						

						

						

						

						

	 Copy to relevant Stage 3 
	       Forms.

Form 2.7 - User cost-benefits

2.7	User Cost/Benefits							
User group: 
							
Issue	Benefits	Rating
+1 to +5	Costs	Rating
-1  to  -5	Modified or New
User Requirement	Ref.	

							

							

							

							

							

							

							
	 Transfer to Form 3.5
	      System Functions and Features	      and Form 3.4  
	      Technical environment

2.7	User Cost/Benefits
							
User group: 
							
Issue	Benefits	Rating
+1 to +5	Costs	Rating
-1 to  -5	Modified or New
User Requirement	Ref.	
Job Security
							
Job Content
1. 
2.
3.
4.
5. 
6.

	
					
Organisational procedures
1.
2. 
3. 
4. 
5.
6.
	No effect						
Personal policies
1. 
2. 
3.
4.
5.
	No effect						

Summary: 

							
	  Transfer to Form 3.9 Social and
	          Organisational Requirements

Form 3.1 - General System Characteristics

3.1	General System Characteristics			
System: 
  Transfer from Form 1.3 User Characteristics, 2.3 Task scenarios
         and Form 1.10 Design Concept characteristics		Pri.
1-5	Ach.
*
**
***	Ref.	

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

Form 3.3 - Task Scenarios and Interaction Steps

3.3	Task Scenarios and Interaction Steps			
System	: 
Scenario	: 

  Transfer from Form 2.3 Task scenarios	PRI:	ACH:
         and Form 2.4 New processes		
user		System	

			

			

			

			

			

			

			

			

Form 3.4 - Technical Environment  requirements

3.4	Technical environment requirements			
System: 			
 Transfer from Form 1.4 Technical environment		Pri.	Ach.	Ref.	
Main hardware required

					
Software environment

					
Output hardware

					
Input hardware

					
Standards to be applied

					
Communication/network capabilities

					
Other equipment

					
Other characteristics

					

Form 3.5.1 - System Functions

3.5.1	System Functions			
System: 
  Transfer from Form 1.8 Review current processes
        Form 1.9 Review other systems and products
     Form 1.10  Design ideas and concepts
        and Form 2.4 Propose new processes		Pri.
1-5	Ach.
*
**
***	Ref.	

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

Form 3.5.2 - System Features

3.5.2	System Features			
System: 
  Transfer from Form 1.8 Review current processes
        Form 1.9 Review other systems and products
     Form 1.10  Design ideas and concepts
        and Form 2.4 Propose new processes		Pri.
1-5	Ach.
*
**
***	Ref.	

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

Form 3.6 - User Interface design

3.6	User Interface Design			
Interface name: 
 Transfer from Form 1.4 Technical environment
       Transfer from Form 1.10 Design ideas and concepts		Pri.	Ach.	Ref.	
Purpose

					
Features

					
Components of interface

					
Standards to be used

					
Example screens

					
Tools to be used for building interface

					

Form  3.7 - User Support

3.7	User Support			
User Group: 
 Transfer from Form 1.3 User characteristics	Pri.			Ach.	Ref.	
User training

						
User
document-ation
						
Help facilities

						
Local expert

						
Telephone hot lines

Other support

						

Form 3.8 - Physical Environment

3.8	Physical  Environment			
System: 
 Transfer from Form 1.5 Physical environment		Pri.	Ach.	Ref.	

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

Form 3.9 - Social and Organisational Environment

3.9	Social and Organisational Environment			
System : 
 Transfer from Form 1.6 Social and Organisational environment		Pri.	Ach.	Ref.	

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

Form 3.10 - Standards to Apply

3.10	Standards and styleguides to Apply		
System:  
		
Standard	User Requirement
(Method of application)	Pri.	Ach.	Ref.	

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

					

Form 3.11.1 - Usability test plan

3.11.1	Usability test plan		
User sample and characteristics	

	
Method of recruitment	

	
Tasks or Scenarios
 Based on Form 1.7 user goals
or Form 2.3 Task scenarios	

	
Measures/Method of data capture	

	
Test equipment	

	
Environment
 based on Forms:
1.4 Technical environment
1.5 Physical environment
1.6 Social and organisational
environment

	
Introduction to subject	

Assistance to be given

	

Form 3.11.2 - Usability test results

3.11.2	Usability test results						
Tasks

	Task achievement	Mean Time
and
Standard deviation	Comparison with expert
task time	Subjective  rating of
difficulty
(1=easy
     7=difficult)	Comments	

						

						

						

						

Form  3.12 - User Requirements Implementation Plan

3.12	User requirements implementation plan	

System:

1.	Design rationale

	
2.	Form of prototype

	
3.	Usability test method

	
4.	Acceptability test method

	
5.	Scope for iteration

	
6.	User audit

	
7.	System phasing

	

	Part A

	Introduction to the Handbook

	Part B

	User Requirements Framework

	Part C

	User Requirements Methods

	Part D

	References and Appendices

	Phase 1.

	User Context and Early Design

	Phase 2.

	Prototyping and User Test

	Phase 3.

	User Requirements 	Documentation