Using Storytelling to Identify Requirements – Exploring Persona-Scenarios in Context

ABSTRACT

By Sabine Madsen, Lene Nielsen

In this paper we explore the persona-scenario method as a means for requirements determination. More specifically, we investigate how the method can support groups of diverse ISD project participants in constructing and presenting multiple stories that complement each other in generating many, new, and shared understandings and design ideas. As persona-scenarios are stories about personas using IT systems we draw on narrative theory to define what a persona-scenario is and which narrative elements it should consist of. The conceptual clarification is used as an analytical lens for understanding an empirical study of a workshop that was held as a part of a large project concerned with redesign of an e-report portal for Danish governmental bodies. The aim of the workshop was to develop persona-scenarios about the future use of e-reports. A key finding is that despite our inherent human ability to construct, tell, and interpret stories it is not easy to write and present a good, coherent, and design-oriented story without methodical support. The paper therefore contributes to the field of ISD with theoretical and empirically grounded guidelines that delineate a) what a design-oriented persona-scenario should consist of (product) and b) how to write it (procedure) in order to generate and validate as many, new, and shared understandings and design ideas as possible (purpose).

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Tags: e-reportinginformation systems developmentnarrative theoryPersonas (DK)scenariosStorytelling

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