Can Users Play an Effective Role in Parallel Tools Research?

Abstract

Commercial experiences have shown that involving users in the software design cycle is a cost-effective way of improving both the quality and the acceptability of tool products. This paper addresses the issue of whether users also should be involved in the research activities that lay the foundation for parallel tool design. Integrating users changes the basic nature of the software process in sev eral ways, as illustrated with examples from recent Parallel Tools Consortium projects. Tool designers must invest additional time to prepare example scenarios or proto types for user discussions, identify alternatives that can serve as points of departure for user-derived meta phors or models, and analyze user responses. By iden tifying user suggestions consistently throughout the de sign process, however, the development time for research prototypes is actually shortened.