Available product analysis
library
Why?
Find out if what you are planning to do has already been done (in full or in part) by someone else.
problem definition
Project phase of use
Methods
Best good and bad practices
library
Why?
Incorporating what has proven to work somewhere else forms the basis of any high-quality project.
problem definition Project phase of use analysis Project phase of use
Community research
library
Why?
Have others already tackled the problem? Incorporating your peers’ knowledge can seriously speed things up.
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Competitive analysis
library
Why?
Find a niche or unique selling point competitors are not filling.
analysis Project phase of use
Design pattern research
library
Why?
Applying well-known design patterns improves the quality (and structure) of the designed software.
design Project phase of use realisation Project phase of use
Expert interview
library
Why?
A domain expert can put you on the right track when you enter a new domain or field of expertise. The expert can recommend sources, give you a sense of direction or point out common pitfalls.
analysis Project phase of use
Literature study
library
Why?
Find general information, guidance and best practices.
problem definition Project phase of use analysis Project phase of use design Project phase of use realistation Project phase of use
SWOT analysis
library
Why?
A SWOT analysis supports decision makers in identifying relevant factors for achieving certain goals.
analysis Project phase of use
Descriptive statistics
field
Why?
To get an overview and summary of a dataset
problem definition Project phase of use analysis Project phase of use
Document analysis
field
Why?
Find out if what you are planning to do has already been done (in full or in part) by someone else.
problem definition Project phase of use analysis Project phase of use
Domain modelling
field
Why?
Map the domain that your product will be part of, so you know the key concepts and the relations between them.
analysis Project phase of use
Explore user requirements
field
Why?
Get a detailed view of how users will be using your solution and what their requirements are.
analysis Project phase of use
Focus group
field
Why?
A focus group discussion is an efficient way to gain insight into how people think about an issue, without having to interview each person separately.
analysis Project phase of use
Interview
field
Why?
Learn from potential users of your new product and other stakeholders
analysis Project phase of use
Observation
field
Why?
Get a feeling for how your intended users will use your product by unobtrusively observing them in their natural environment, doing the things they always do.
problem definition Project phase of use analysis Project phase of use
Problem analysis
field
Why?
Before solving a problem, it is important to understand it. Moreover, problem analysis ensures that you are not solving the wrong problem.
problem definition Project phase of use
Stakeholder analysis
field
Why?
Identify the stakeholders and ensure that their needs are considered.
problem definition Project phase of use analysis Project phase of use
Survey
field
Why?
Collect information (mostly quantitative) from a large sample of your target group.
problem definition Project phase of use analysis Project phase of use
Task analysis
field
Why?
Understand the structure, flow or other aspects of a certain task. Task analysis focuses on what end users actually do to achieve their goals.
analysis Project phase of use
A/B testing
lab
Why?
A minor change in a design may alter user behaviour in ways that are hard to detect in a usability test. An A/B test allows you to compare real-world user behaviour across different versions of a product.
realisation Project phase of use
Component test
lab
Why?
Test a subsystem or component in isolation to ensure its correctness before integrating it with other components or modules.
realisation Project phase of use
Computer simulation
lab
Why?
Computer simulations are used when a real-world process, system or event situation is not available or feasible.
realisation Project phase of use
Data analytics
lab
Why?
Gain insights by measuring and analysing data. Researching a dataset can give you useful quantitative information about the topic of interest.
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Hardware validation
lab
Why?
Hardware does not always perform according to its specifications. Hardware validation ensures that the hardware performs as expected and excludes hardware as a source of errors.
realisation Project phase of use
Inferential statistics
lab
Why?
To test hypotheses based on a quantitative dataset.
realisation Project phase of use
Non-functional test
lab
Why?
Test the operating conditions under which the system delivers its intended functions.
realisation Project phase of use
Security test
lab
Why?
Understand the security risks of an IT system.
realisation Project phase of use
System test
lab
Why?
Solve problems before your system goes into production and demonstrate that the system operates according to its requirements.
realisation Project phase of use
Unit test
lab
Why?
Find certain types of bugs as early as possible and ensure your code keeps running after a change.
realisation Project phase of use
Usability testing
lab
Why?
Detect problems users have with your solution and correct them before the system goes live.
realisation Project phase of use
Benchmark test
showroom
Why?
A standardised set allows you to compare your product to similar products.
realisation Project phase of use
Ethical check
showroom
Why?
Norms and values differ between various people and societies. Make sure your design and development decisions do not lead to conflicts with certain norms and values.
problem definition Project phase of use ethical check Project phase of use
Guideline conformity analysis
showroom
Why?
Conforming to guidelines and standards helps ensure the credibility of the quality of your product and prevents reliability, privacy and security issues.
realisation Project phase of use
Peer review
showroom
Why?
Colleagues and experts can help improve your work, especially if they need to reuse it.
analysis Project phase of use design Project phase of use realisation Project phase of use
Pitch
showroom
Why?
Get an idea of the unique selling points of the opportunity you have found, or of the idea you have to tackle a problem, and practice concise communication about them.
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Product review
showroom
Why?
Ensure that the product is perfect before it is released to the client or users.
realisation Project phase of use evaluation Project phase of use
Static program analysis
showroom
Why?
Get an impression of how well your code is written and quickly find vulnerabilities, weak spots and bad smells.
realisation Project phase of use
Brainstorm
workshop
Why?
Generate and develop new ideas.
problem definition Project phase of use analysis Project phase of use
Business case exploration
workshop
Why?
Maximize the outcome of your efforts or investment.
problem definition Project phase of use
Co-creation
workshop
Why?
To gain inspiration from your users by involving them in the development process.
problem definition Project phase of use
Code review
workshop
Why?
With many eyeballs on the code, all bugs are shallow. Colleagues can help you find bugs and improve the quality of your source code.
realisation Project phase of use
Decomposition
workshop
Why?
Breaking a complex IT system or problem into smaller parts ensures its maintainability and robustness, and facilitates cooperation in large-scale software projects.
design Project phase of use
Gap analysis
workshop
Why?
Compare an actual situation to an ideal or desired situation. The gap analysis can be used to create plans to bridge the gaps.
analysis Project phase of use
Hackathon
workshop
Why?
To find new solutions, be able to try them out quickly and involve many people in your challenge.
analysis Project phase of use
IT architecture sketching
workshop
Why?
Defining the IT architecture is complex and requires contributions from and interactions between software designers and/or architects. Sketching facilitates these discussions.
design Project phase of use
Multi-criteria decision making
workshop
Why?
Improve the quality of complex decisions
design Project phase of use
Prototyping
workshop
Why?
Develop, evaluate or communicate a concept, design or problem solution to make your ideas concrete, to learn whether they work and to discover the technical limitations or possibilities.
design Project phase of use prototyping Project phase of use
Requirements engineering
workshop
Why?
To define and weigh the requirements of a new design or redesign, considering the interest of all concerned stakeholders.
analysis Project phase of use
Root cause analysis
workshop
Why?
Understand why a problem occurs and prevent it from happening again.
problem definition Project phase of use analysis Project phase of use
Joker
extra
Why?
This set of cards gives you an overview of methods you can use, but there are many others that might fit your goals better.
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