Business Analysis and Solution Design

Course Content:

The module focuses on the principles, methods, techniques and tools commonly used in
the analysis and early design stages of the software development lifecycle.

Students work on a software design project in organised teams throughout the year to
elicit, analyse and document requirements; to model early process and data
requirements; to design the user interface of an interactive system with an emphasis on
human-computer interaction; to produce, evaluate, and demonstrate its first medium
fidelity prototype; and to deliver written reports.

Autumn Semester: Business Analysis topics with emphasis on Requirements Engineering.

Spring Semester: Human-Centred Design / user experience design topic focus

Topics covered may include:
1. Introduction to information systems:
Business systems concepts, nature of information: data and information
as a resource for decision making. Systems and systems boundaries.
Stakeholders
2. System development process:
System development life-cycles; nature, significance and output of each
stage; validation of design, control, security, standards. Waterfall,
incremental, and agile lifecycles.
3. Requirements discovery techniques:
Research, facilitated workshop, interview, observation, scenarios,
prototypes, and personas.
4. Functional and other types of Requirements
5. Documenting requirements using Requirements Catalogue, Use Case Description,
Screen and Report Content
6. Requirements analysis and validation
7. UML modelling
Requirements modeling: Use case diagrams and Context diagrams.
Data analysis: Understanding data and information, attributes, values,
tables and keys. Creation of first cut conceptual data models
Process modeling: Business rules, basic business models, e.g. swim lanes,
processes, decisions.
8. Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction:
Understanding usability requirements, using design principles, and evaluating
interface usability.
? The concept of interface appropriateness
? Knowledge and the user interface
? Interface design techniques and tools
? Design principles and heuristics
? Prototyping
? Interface evaluation methods
9. Production of a medium fidelity prototype
10. Evaluation of the prototype
11. Report writing and presentation
Assembling analysis and design documentation to produce a cohesive
and coherent report.
Presentation of findings and outcomes of analysis and design

Teaching: Lectures and workshops

Assessment:
STUDY OPTION 1:
? Exam (40%)
? Coursework: Portfolio of in-class tests; multiple choice test; weekly graded
exercises (60%)
STUDY OPTION 2 or 3:
Coursework (60%); in-class test (40%)

Study Option 1 = Whole Year
Study Option 2 = Autumn
Study Option 3 = Spring/summer