BluePrints | BluePrint

BluePrint: BluePrint

What is a BluePrint?

We use ​BluePrints to capture ideas, requirements and design options for Eden components.

This can start with a simple ​User Story (or a full ​Use Case)

• ​User-Oriented Design
• ​Activity-Centered Design

It can then be mocked-up using ​Wireframes, using tools like:

• ​Evolus Pencil (FOSS, also as Add-on for Firefox 3.5+, GPL2)
  • Install Pencil as Firefox Add-on directly from ​here
• ​Dia (FOSS, GPL)
• ​Balsamiq (non-OSS, US$79)
• ​GoogleDoc's new Drawing functionality

BluePrints can be used by yourself or other contributors to:

• develop and evaluate solutions
• develop test cases
• write documentation

Typically, a BluePrint would contain the following sections:

Section	Contents
Description	Introduction into the problem and general description of the suggested solution
Requirements	Outline of the requirements
Use-Cases	Descriptions of use-cases of the suggested solution
Design	Suggestions for the design of the solution
Implementation	List of existing implementations

BluePrints are developed collaboratively and in several iterations. You can just start with some bullet points, discuss the idea with others and then elaborate.

Tip: keep the BluePrint as clear and simple as possible

Description

Start with a description of the solution you have in mind, remember to include:

• an introduction of the problem
• overview of the stakeholders
• overview of the architecture of the solution
• important functionality to be implemented

Tip: involve the stakeholders you have named already in the development of your BluePrint.

Requirements

Outline ​requirements for the solution, typically including:

• Functional requirements
• ​Non-functional requirements
• Applicable standards
• System Constraints
• Interoperability Aspects

If you include links to external resources, please remember to describe what (contents+format) they contain.

Use-Cases

Describe the use-cases of the solution in detail, typically including:

• actors and use-cases
• activities (work flow) from the user's perspective

Tip: a simple, fast and multi-platform tool to draw UML diagrams is ​UMLet (Java-based UML drawing tool).

Design

Describe the possible design of the suggested solution, typically including:

• data model (e.g. EER or class diagrams)
• interaction models and sequences
• screen mockups and wireframes
• code samples

Tip: it is absolutely reasonable (in fact - desired) to have alternative design options.

Implementation

Append a list of implementations of this BluePrint, each including:

• a brief description of the implementation (date/time, name, design options chosen)
• a link to the code
• list of deployments of the implementation
• links to case studies
• short analysis of achievements/problems

BluePrint Template

Copy and paste this into the wiki editor, then fill in the sections:

[[TOC]]
= !BluePrint: <Name of the solution> =

== Introduction ==
<Introduce the problem the solution is meant for>
<Explain why this could be relevant for Eden>

== Description ==
<Briefly describe the solution, e.g. start with a user story>
<Name existing solutions, e.g. in other applications>

== Requirements ==
<Outline the requirements here>
<Group requirements in subsections, e.g. functional, non-functional, interoperability etc.>

== Use-Cases ==
<Describe actors and use-cases>
<Describe workflows>
<Include diagrams where useful>

== Design ==
<Describe a possible design, repeat any design sections for alternative designs>
<Include diagrams, screen mockups and wireframes where useful>

== Implementation ==
<Leave open for a list of implementation>

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BluePrints

Eden Development Model

• We could look at following a ​Behaviour-Driven Development style to formalise requirements whilst still being ​Agile (e.g. using tools like ​pyspec or ​PyFIT).
• Joel Spolsky has a good write-up on ​Why to write Functional Specs & ​How

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BluePrints