Support for Cooperative Design of End-User Tailorable Software

Abstract

Abstract. Many contemporary business areas are dynamic and characterized by change. End-user tailorable software that allows the users to continue its evolution and adjustment is suitable in such environments. Unfortunately, the changes in the environment make it hard to know what flexibility to build into the software. The study presented here was aimed at providing an instrument that makes it possible to distinguish between different types of end-user tailoring, and to support discussions between users and developers concerning what kind of tailorability to build into the software. The study was performed in cooperation with a telecom company where tailorable software is essential to keep up with the fast changing market. The study resulted in ten attributes characterizing end-user tailorable software and a matrix capturing the values of the attributes. The matrix can be used as a guide and a basis for design decisions when implementing end-user tailorable software.

Boundary objects in information science

“…activities (Macpherson et al, 2006) archival standards (Yakel, 2004) cancer (as a conceptual artefact) (Fujimura, 1992) community information (Westbrook & Finn, 2012) concepts (Langenohl, 2008;Ridenour, 2016) design concepts (Eriksson, 2008) digital literacy (Huvila, 2012b) documents (Huvila, 2012;Østerlund, 2008a) gender (Burnett et al, 2009) genre (Østerlund, 2008b) group affiliations (Lindberg & Czarniawska, 2006) information services (Huvila, 2012b) medicine (Frost et al, 2002) metaphors (Koskinen, 2005) methods (Olsen et al, 2012) musical scores (Winget, 2008) ontologies (Shepherd & Sampalli, 2012) policies (Emad & Roth, 2009) repositories and digital libraries (Star & Griesemer, 1989;Van House, 2003;Worrall, 2015) room / space (Jornet & Steier, 2015) technical standards, geographic information systems (GIS) (Harvey & Chrisman., 1998) visual representations (Henderson, 1991) water (Carroll, 2012) Organized along disciplinary lines in the fields of anthropology of design, sociology of science, and organization theory, Trompette & Vinck (2009) offer a partial inventory of research topics for which the concept BO was put to use. Their review takes account of the diverse authorship and research applications of the concept and although it is not a critical review of the literature it provides a topical map.…”

“…Along with the four initial types of BOs proposed by Star and Griesemer (1989), researchers working in different disciplinary traditions distinguish additional kinds of BOs and boundaries, for instance: (Macpherson, Jones, & Oakes, 2006) archival standards (Yakel, 2004) cancer (as a conceptual artifact) (Fujimura, 1992) community information (Westbrook & Finn, 2012) concepts (Langenohl, 2008;Ridenour, 2016) design concepts (Eriksson, 2008) digital literacy (Huvila, 2012b) documents (Huvila, 2012a;Østerlund, 2008a) gender (Burnett et al, 2009a(Burnett et al, , 2009b) genre (Østerlund, 2008b) group affiliations (Lindberg & Czarniawska, 2006) information services (Huvila, 2012b) medicine (Frost, Reich, & Fujisaki, 2002) metaphors (Koskinen, 2005) methods (Olsen, Lund, Ellingsen, & Hartvigsen, 2012) musical scores (Winget, 2008) ontologies (Shepherd & Sampalli, 2012) policies (Emad & Roth, 2009) repositories and digital libraries (Star & Griesemer, 1989;Van House, 2003;Worrall, 2015) room/space (Jornet & Steier, 2015) technical standards, geographic information systems (GIS) (Harvey & Chrisman, 1998) visual representations (Henderson, 1991) water (Carroll, 2012) • Boundary-objects-in-use/designated BOs: Objects that are useful in different communities and that acquire a status as a BO; objects that are specifically promoted as boundary bridging instruments, for example, by management (Levina & Vaast, 2005).…”

Designing tailorable software systems with the users’ participation

“…Moreover, they proposed a set of elicitation patterns consisting of issues to be discussed with stakeholders during the elicitation of software requirements. Erickson [9] proposed usability scenarios for each different level of tailoring: customization (setting parameters), composition (link between existing components), expansion (creation of a new component) and extension (insertion of new code) and compiled a set of usability and design patterns that could support design decisions and implementation. Beyond patterns, Wulf and Golombek [44] proposed the principle of "direct activation", i.e., tailoring options should be presented close to where they would be used and preferably in a graphic way.…”

Infrastructuring Knowledge in Cultural Infrastructure

“…Emerging areas that have recently gained centrality in PD take a step aside from the initial preoccupation of the field, which was mainly focused on the development of technological artifacts as pursued inside the boundaries of 'formal development projects' (characterized by clearly defined roles and responsibilities, blueprints, time-lines and explicit objectives). Indeed, nowadays, PD is concerned with the continuity of design and development, distributedness of participation, and infrastructure for the processes (Eriksson 2008;Poderi 2012). Design as a continuous and ongoing process that extends beyond the boundaries of development stage has been renowned since years.…”