CORE: Cognitive Organization for Requirements Elicitation

Creative Commons license. Wiebe & Confer, 2007

A seven-step methodology using cognitive graphing in a soft systems framework

Scott M. ConferUser Experience ManagerSears Holdings Corporation

Joanna WiebeInformation ArchitectOrbitz Worldwide

Creative Commons license. Wiebe & Confer, 2007 http://onemind.wetpaint.com

Download this presentation at:

Fractal image by Digon3

2


(Cognitive Organization for Requirements Elicitation)

integrates two analytical methodologies

3 Amigurumi photo by Ashley Ringrose (MrTruffle)


CORE characteristics

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CORE has seven steps

5 Amigurumi photo by Ashley Ringrose (MrTruffle)


Example Mess: late night, guests, need stimulantFirst there is is...

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Example Mess: late night, guests, need stimulant

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Example Mess: late night, guests, need stimulant

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Good requirements are:

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How do we get out of a mess?

10 Coffee cup photo by Zesmerelda, at Leonardo’s in Chicago, IllinoisFractal image by Digon3


structure the mess: form your team

problem-solver

investigator subject matter expert

customer/client

problem-owner

11 Amigurumi by anapaulaoli and others


What is this thing?

What’s happening? What to do? Where is it?

Where can I find out more?


Information

What to do?

Goal / Action

What to do?

Goal

What to do?

Style

Where is it?

Location

What’s happening?

State

What’s happening?

Event

What is this thing?

Concept

What to do?

What does a person do after _____?

What to do?

What states of events cause or enable a person to _____?

What to do?

How does a person _____?

What to do?

What does a person do before _____?

What to do?

What prevents you from being able to _____?

What to do?

What are the consequences of _____?

What to do?

Why does a person _____?

What to do?

What happens if you do not _____?

What to do?

How _____?

What to do?

What causes or enables _____?

What to do?


What to do?

What happens if not _____?

Where is it?

Where is _____?

Where is it?

What is above _____?

Where is it?

What is below _____?

Where is it?

What is to the left of _____?

Where is it?

What is to the right of _____?

Where is it?

What contains _____?


Is there anyone else who I should talk to about _____?


Where can I find out more about _____?


Can you recommend any books?


Can you recommend any web sites?


Are there any journals dealing with _____?


Is there a manual dealing with _____?

What is this thing?

What is _____?

What is this thing?

What are the parts of _____?

What is this thing?

What are the types of _____?

What is this thing?

What are the properties of _____ that distinguish it from _____?

What is this thing?

What are specific instances or examples of _____?

What’s happening?

What causes of enables _____?

What’s happening?

Why does _____ occur?

What’s happening?

What happens before _____?

What’s happening?

What happens after _____?

What’s happening?

What are the consequences of _____ occurring?

What’s happening?


What’s happening?


What’s happening?


What’s happening?


What to do?

What happens before having the goal of _____?

What to do?

What happens after having the goal of _____?

What to do?

How is the goal of _____ attained?

What to do?

What state or event initiates the goal of _____?

What to do?

What is the outcome of _____?

What to do?

What is the goal of _____?

structure the mess: question methodically

Questions from: (Gordon et al.) Image Source: San Diego State University http://coe.sdsu.edu/EDTEC544/Images/probes.gif12

What is this thing?




What is this thing?




Information

What to do?

Goal / Action

What to do?

Goal

What to do?

Style

Where is it?

Location

What’s happening?

State

What’s happening?

Event

What is this thing?

Concept

What to do?

What does a person do after _____?

What to do?

What states of events cause or enable a person to _____?

What to do?

How does a person _____?

What to do?

What does a person do before _____?

What to do?

What prevents you from being able to _____?

What to do?


What to do?

Why does a person _____?

What to do?

What happens if you do not _____?

What to do?

How _____?

What to do?

What causes or enables _____?

What to do?


What to do?

What happens if not _____?

Where is it?

Where is _____?

Where is it?

What is above _____?

Where is it?

What is below _____?

Where is it?

What is to the left of _____?

Where is it?

What is to the right of _____?

Where is it?

What contains _____?


Is there anyone else who I should talk to about _____?


Where can I find out more about _____?


Can you recommend any books?


Can you recommend any web sites?


Are there any journals dealing with _____?


Is there a manual dealing with _____?

What is this thing?

What is _____?

What is this thing?

What are the parts of _____?

What is this thing?

What are the types of _____?

What is this thing?

What are the properties of _____ that distinguish it from _____?

What is this thing?

What are specific instances or examples of _____?

What’s happening?

What causes of enables _____?

What’s happening?


What’s happening?


What’s happening?


What’s happening?


What’s happening?


What’s happening?


What’s happening?


What’s happening?


What to do?

What happens before having the goal of _____?

What to do?

What happens after having the goal of _____?

What to do?

How is the goal of _____ attained?

What to do?

What state or event initiates the goal of _____?

What to do?

What is the outcome of _____?

What to do?

What is the goal of _____?

structure the mess: question methodically

Questions from: (Gordon et al.) Image Source: San Diego State University http://coe.sdsu.edu/EDTEC544/Images/probes.gif13

What is this thing?




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draw a Rich Picture

Example: Rich Picture for making coffee

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Creative Commons license. Wiebe & Confer, 2007 P.J. Lewis, 'Rich Picture building in the SSM,' European Journal of Information Systems

Rich Picture example

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Rich Picture example

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define the system . . .

17 Coffee cup photo by Zesmerelda, at Leonardo’s in Chicago, Illinois


building understanding of user decisions

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conceptualize the problem space . . .

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Event: Need stimulant Initiates

Goal: stay awake Concept: CoffeeRefers-to

Goal - Action: Decide to make your

own

Means

Reason

Goal: Brewcoffee

Creative Commons license. Wiebe & Confer, 2007 20

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theyrule.net Network Diagrams of ConspiracyMark Lombardi

Internet SearchDubberly Design Office

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The Budget GraphJesse Bachman

example network diagrams of concepts


closeup network diagram: no grammar


conceptual graphs don’t have to be fancy

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Initiates Refers-to

Or

Initiates

Initiates

Mea

ns

Rea

son

Event:Invited to

CGS presentatio

n

Goal: Learn how to read and create

CGS

Concept::Conceptual

Graph Structure

Event: Ask about CG

State: See some

concept graphs

Goal/Action: Learn basics

Goal/Action: Watch

Presentation

During

MeansReason

Goal/Action:

Creating a CGS

Rea

son

Mea

nsBefore

Goal: Understand

why use CGS

Means

State: Become

familiar with CGS

grammar

Has

Consequence Has C

onsequence

Concept: Diagram

Concept: Task

Analysis Artifact

Is-aIs-a

Concept:Arcs

Concept:Nodes

Goal: Do Cognitive

Task Analysis

Goal: Decision Making (user)

Goal: Support Travel

Commerce

Mea

ns

Refers-to

State: Refined

Requirements

Concept: Task

Analysis Definition

Refe

rs-to

Concept: substructur

es

Has Part

Has Part

Concept:Templates

Refers-to

Concept:Visio .VSS

Stencil

Refers-to

Concept: many T.A. methods

Refers-

to

Concept: CG

approach to CTA Refers-to

Concept:Cheat sheet

Ref

ers-

to

Has Property

Ref

ers-

to

Goal: Specify

Software Requireme

nts

Means

Concept: Problem of

the unobservab

le

Refers-to

Initiates

Concept:information

Concept:timing

Concept:User

concerns

Concept:options

Refers-toRefers-toRefers-to

Refers-to

Refers-to

Refers-to

Refer

s-to

Ref

ers-

to

Goal/Action: Perform

Document Analysis

Refers-to

Refers-to

Concept: Business

Requirements

Concept: Functional Requireme

nts Before

Refers-to

Means

Has

Conseque

nce

State: Vetted

Refers-to

Refers-to

Concept: Explicitly

stated

Goal: Specify

Information

Architecture

Concept: Implicitly

stated

Has Property Has Property

Concept: Mental ModelsRefers-to

Concept: Mental

Process

Is-a

Equivalent-to

Concept: Overall Map

structureHas Property

Goal/Action: Sell

Travel

Goal/Action: Buy

Travel

Refers-to

Refers-to

Concept: Map DetailsHas Property

Goal: Define

procedures

Goal: Organize concepts

Goal: Discover

Goal: Innovate solutions

Means

Mea

ns

Refers-to

Concept: conflicts

Refers-to

Refers-to

Means

Refers-to

Initiates

Concept: Brand

Promise

Concept: Faster

Concept: Easier

Goal/Action: Create Screen Maps

Goal/Action: Create

Wireframes

Goal/Action: Create

Views for interaction

Has

Propert

y Has Property

Goal: Deliver on

Brand Promise

Means

Refe

rs-to

Concept: inconsisten

cies

Concept: gaps

Refers-to

Refers-to

Concept: dependenci

es

Concept: constraints

Refers-

to

Refe

rs-to

Refer

s-to

Concept: New vs. Existing

function / UI

Refers-to

Refers-to

Goal/Action: Create

functionals for

interaction

Refers-to

Refers-

to

MeansMeans

Goal/Action:

ConceptingAfter

Refe

rs-to

Goal/Action:

Consider & Discuss

requirementsRefers-to

Goal: Use Checklist / Roadmap

Means

Means

State: Written Implies

Refers-to

Concept: SDLC

Refers-to

Goal/Action: Use

CGS for doc

analysis on Rqmts

Refers-to

Concept: Goal

HierarchyConcept:

TaxonomyConcept: Causal Net Concept:

Spatial Relations

Has Par

t

Has

Part

Concept: Procedure

s for Creating

CGS (secret sauce)

Refers-to

Has Part

Has PartHas Part

Ref

ers-

to

Concept: Legal

Node-Arc-Node

triplets

Refe

rs-

to

Refers-to

Refers-toConcept: Layout

Concept: Examples

Refers-to

Refe

rs-to

Concept: Declarative Knowledge

Concept: Procedural Knowledge

Refers-to

Refers-

to

Concept:18 types

Concept:6 types

Has Propert

y

Has Property

Concept:Question Probes

Refers-to

Concept: Concepts,

Ideas, nouns

Concept: Goals &

Relationships

Refers-to

Refers-to

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a CGS of the CGS process


a diagram of nodes connected by arcs

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FamilyOrbitz requirementssources

Budget CalculatorBR13

Shopping CartBR12

Recommendation EngineBR11

Trip BuilderBR10

Road Trip ToolBR9

Community BuildingBR8

CareBR7

Enhanced FilteringBR6

Enhanced MappingBR5

Exclusive Family ContentBR4

Family Travel DealsBR3

Purchase TravelBR2

GeneralBR1

Area of FocusID

Budget CalculatorBR13

Shopping CartBR12

Recommendation EngineBR11

Trip BuilderBR10

Road Trip ToolBR9

Community BuildingBR8

CareBR7

Enhanced FilteringBR6

Enhanced MappingBR5

Exclusive Family ContentBR4

Family Travel DealsBR3

Purchase TravelBR2

GeneralBR1

Area of FocusID

Family Orbitz requirements sources

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Family Orbitz conceptual graph structure

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Family Orbitz visual layout concept

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Concept: registered user role

Concept: unregistered user

role

State: temp profile created for

unregistered role

Has consequence

Goal: Manage event travel

Concept: customer service agent role

Goal: Confirm traveler itinerary

Goal - Action: Apply travel policy

Means

Means

Concept: Third party event site

Concept: Travel Arranger role

Has co n se qu e nc e

Event: User data enters system

State: registered role profile

prepopulated

Has consequence

Goal - Action: Create participant

types

Goal - Action: Create policy

Before

After

Conceptual Graph Structure

Meeting Site IntegrationCustomer perspective: A system to enable customers to book and manage travel online at the same time that they register for meetings, without having to make a second login.

Relevant system

Taxonomy Goal hierarchyCausal network

Has property

Has part

Has part

Has pa

rt

Has part

Concept: Email address

Refers-to

Concept: Third party database

Goal: Display traveler itinerary

Before

State: data validated

Has

consequence

Has part

Concept: Archived policy

Goal - Action: Single sign on

Concept: RolesHas part

V. 1.0V. 2.0

Version

Style: behind the scenes

Manner

Event: user passed to

system Initiates

Refers-to

Has consequence

Another Orbitz Worldwide project

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Spatial relations

Concept: Payment module

Concept: Service feesHas

part

Concept: Reservation page Has part


back to the coffee example: goal hierarchy

Event: need stimulant Initiates

Goal - Action: Decide to make

your own

Means

Goal: Brew hot coffee

Before

State: SleepyOr

Initiates

Goal - Action: Get stimulant

Goal: stay awake

Event: want to be stimulated

Initiates

Reason MeansReason

Goal - Action: Drink coffee

MeansReason

During Before

Goal hierarchy




your own

Means


Before

State: SleepyOr

Initiates


Goal: stay awake


Initiates

Reason MeansReason


MeansReason

During Before

Goal hierarchy Taxonomic networkConcept: Coffee

Refers-to

Concept: stimulating drink

Is-a

Concept: brewed coffee

Has-instance-of

Concept: espresso

Has-instance-of

Concept: Food

Is-a

Concept: water

Concept: Coffee grounds

Has-part

Has-part

back to the coffee example: taxonomic network




your own

Means


Before

State: SleepyOr

Initiates


Goal: stay awake


Initiates

Reason MeansReason


MeansReason

During Before

Goal hierarchy Taxonomic networkConcept: Coffee

Refers-to

Concept: stimulating drink

Is-a

Concept: brewed coffee

Has-instance-of

Concept: espresso

Has-instance-of

Concept: Food

Is-a

Concept: water

Concept: Coffee grounds

Has-part

Has-part

back to the coffee example: more detailed goals

Goal hierarchy: more detailed level goal

Event: decide to make own coffee Initiates

Event: coffee used up

State: coffee grounds left in

makerOr

Goal - Action: empty out old

coffee and grounds

Initiates

Initiates

Means

Goal - Action: make fresh pot with new water and groundsBefore

Means

Goal - Action: start brew

Means

Before

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Event:

Goal - Action:

State:

Concept:

Style:

Goal:

NODE TYPE DEFINITION

A goal node indicates a circumstance, situation, state of affairs or event desired by a person or an agent (such as a software application). It does not indicate how the goal is accomplished.

A goal-action node indicates either: - action(s) performed by the person or agent to attain a goal, or- a mix of both goal and activity/activities of a person or agent toward a goal.

An event node indicates a condition of transition between one stable state and another stable state.

A concept node indicates a single entity, idea or construct, with a single name, which can be a word or phrase.

A state node indicates a relatively stable situation, circumstance, manner or condition of being.

A style node indicates:- a quality of a goal-action, such as duration or speed, or- an instrumentality of a goal-action (what agent or person does it?)

Event:Coffee brews

Goal - Action:Make coffee

State:Hot coffee ready

Concept:Stimulating

drink

Style:Home-brewed

Goal: Stay awake

EXAMPLES

nodes

From: (Gordon et al.) 32


ARC TYPE DEFINITION

Reason

Means

Before

During

After

Initiates

Has-consequence

Refers-to

And

Or

Manner

Is-a

Equivalent-to

Has-instance-of

Has-property

Has-part

Implies

Spatial relations

Why or how something is done.

How something is done, or the action by which a goal or goal-action is performed.

Something happens or exists before something else.

Two things happen or exist simultaneously; neither happens or exists before the other.

Something happens or exists after something else.

Something starts, cues, or causes an agent to acquire a goal or perform an action.

Indicates an action has had some result.

Indicate that a node is composed of at least one other concept.

Two things co-occur, order not important, and a temporal relationship between the nodes does NOT exist.

Indicates that only one of a group of things, usually two, occurs, but NOT both.

A specific way in which something is done.

A concept is one in a group of similar concepts that are types or kinds of another broader based concept.

A concept is functionally the same as another concept, and differs only name.

Indicates that there is a specific, concrete example or illustration of a concept.

The presence of particular characteristics or dynamic features of a concept.

A concept is one in a group of physical or conceptual pieces, or components, of another concept.

When the presence of a particular state, event, or style infers another is present, but is not caused by the first.

on, contains, above, below, left-of, right-of, etc. for common locations

arcs

From: (Gordon et al.)

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Goal hierarchy substructureSOURCE NODE ARC TYPE

Means

Initiates

Reason

During

Before

AfterGoal -Action:

Goal:

TERMINAL NODE

Goal -Action:

Goal:

Goal -Action:

Goal:

Goal -Action:

Event:

State:

Style:

Goal -Action:

Goal:

Manner

Has-consequence

AndOr

Goal -Action:

Goal -Action:

Style:

Event:

State:

Style:

Goal -Action:

TERMINAL NODE

Is-a

Equivalent-to

Has-instance-of

Has-property

Taxonomy substructure

Concept: Concept:

Concept: Concept:

Event: Event:

State: State:

Concept:

Event:

State:

Goal -Action:

Goal:

SOURCE NODE ARC TYPE

Has-part

Causal network substructure

Event:

State:

Style:

Implies

Has-consequence

And

Or

Event:Manner

Event:

Style:

Style:Style:Manner

Event:

State:

Before

During

After

Event:

State:

Event:

State:

Style:

Refers-toConcept:

SOURCE NODE ARC TYPE TERMINAL NODE

Event:

State:

Style:

Spatial relations substructure

Concept: Concept:< any spatial relation >

SOURCE NODE ARC TYPE TERMINAL NODEGoal -

Action:

Concept:

Goal:

legal combinations

Download Visio smartstencils and viewexamples of Cognitive Graph Structures at http://onemind.wetpaint.com

TM

From: (Gordon et al.) 34


context

how to make

35 Amigurumi book by Weenah3


how to make

36


write requirements

agree on requirements

implement into information architecture

2037


CORE works in all design contexts

37 Photo by papixulooo38


by Amy Clampitt

Scott M. ConferUser Experience ManagerSears Holdings [email protected]

Key references

Checkland, P.B. (1981). Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. John Wiley & Sons.

Gordon, S. E. & Gill, R. T. (1997). Cognitive Task Analysis. In C. Zsambok & G. Klein, (Eds.), Naturalistic Decision Making (pp. 131-140). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Gordon, S.E., Schmierer, K.A., & Gill, R. T. (1993). Conceptual graph analysis: Knowledge acquisition for instructional system design. Human Factors, 35, 459-481.

FREE downloads

Joanna WiebeInformation ArchitectOrbitz [email protected]

http://onemind.wetpaint.com

20


TM


by Amy Clampitt

Automotive

CORE: Cognitive Organization for Requirements Elicitation