Interface planning...

[Jennifer Heise]

I need some advice on management techniques to help with interface planning.

We've just come out of a long, gruelling eight-month-long process of
solidifying our Webz (the OCLC Z39.50 db interface product) interface.
It was messy, drawn out, and painful, but we're MOSTLY pleased with the
result, even if it doesn't look just like Galileo *smile*

Unfortunately, we now have the option of customizing and fixing up our WebCat
(SIRSI's online catalog web interface).  Neither I nor my bosses want to take
the programmer's way out (I did it, it's done, you don't get any input). We
want to, in management jargon, give people 'ownership' of the interface. We
want to have their input. But we don't have a lot of time for meetings, and we
have to work around a lot of strong opinions.

What kinds of group techniques, organizations, etc. have proved successful in
relatively smoothly designing interfaces?  What is the optimum group size for
meetings on such a project (we've already established that 10 is probably too
many and 2 is too few)? Any other tips?


Jennifer Heise,                             Net: jahb at lehigh.edu    \
Senior Specialist, Web Management, Lehigh Univ. Info. Resources   / /
My opinions are my own. No one else would HAVE them anyway.       \

"Be vewy, vewy quiet. We're hunting Gwoup Weaders."