Re: IBM Spin Doctors - couldn't resist responding :-)

> One of the difficulties of development is getting the user to really state 
>what it
> is that they want....one could spend untold number of man hours in analysis,
> mockup, review, etc. when sometimes it is just plain easier to let someone
> like the sales manager do it their way so they can "draw you a picture" 
>instead
> of trying to explain it.

Many of the really effective solutions that I've been able to implement have 
come as a result of watching people work. It becomes very obvious where the 
roadblocks are. People quite often use things in ways other than the intended 
use. Quite often you can build on this to make it even better. When I'm 
visiting a user and they get a phone call (or any other event that causes them 
to have to use their computer), I watch what they do. It is very enlightening. 
Some of the biggest cudos come from insignificant things (in a programmer's 
mind anyway).

Joe Teff
QDS
Bloomington, MN
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