The fuzzy front end

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I want to collect together all the terms that describe activities at the start of software projects.

The fuzzy front end

  • Discovery
  • Ideation
  • Brainstorming
  • Chartering
  • Initiation
  • Information Architecture
  • Wire Frames
  • High-level Design
  • High-level Requirements

Big design up front

  • Mocks
  • Conceptual Modeling
  • Specification
  • Detailed Design
  • Detailed Requirements
  • Software System Architecture

Any additions? Please…

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About Ken Judy

I am an executive leader, software developer, father and husband trying to do more good than harm. I am an agile practitioner. I say this fully aware I say nothing. Sold as a tool to solve problems, agile is more a set of principles that encourage us to confront problems. Broad adoption of the jargon has not resulted in wide embrace of these principles. I strive to create material and human good by respecting co-workers, telling truth to employers, improving my skills, and caring for the people affected by the software I help build.

3 thoughts on “The fuzzy front end”

  1. “Platform selection” is somewhere in there. “Iteration 0”, “Project Kickoff”, “sketches”, “Prototypes”, “Greenlighting”

  3. For clarification: I meant design mockups not object mocks.

    Detailed design mockups are definitely an upfront design activity.

    37 Signal’s Getting Real involves going directly from idea to implementation.

    From their blog Signal vs. Noise :

    “In general I don’t believe in mocking up screens with Photoshop. Your HTML/CSS screens will never look quite the same as the initial mock, so it’s easy to waste time pushing pixels that won’t even exist later.”

    At Oxygen we’re starting to follow 37 Signals lead and replace Photoshop mockups with simple sketches (not meticulous wireframes) and/or working software.

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