Refining Vision Videos

TL;DR

This paper explores how refining vision videos with additional information and different camera perspectives enhances stakeholder understanding in software development, using a rural shopping scenario with experimental validation.

Contribution

It introduces a method for refining vision videos through alternative answers and subjective perspectives, validated by an experiment with 20 participants.

Findings

Participants contributed more when provided with combined video and text.

Subjective camera perspectives were rated positively by users.

No significant overall preference between subjective and non-subjective videos.

Abstract

[Context and motivation] Complex software-based systems involve several stakeholders, their activities and interactions with the system. Vision videos are used during the early phases of a project to complement textual representations. They visualize previously abstract visions of the product and its use. By creating, elaborating, and discussing vision videos, stakeholders and developers gain an improved shared understanding of how those abstract visions could translate into concrete scenarios and requirements to which individuals can relate. [Question/problem] In this paper, we investigate two aspects of refining vision videos: (1) Refining the vision by providing alternative answers to previously open issues about the system to be built. (2) A refined understanding of the camera perspective in vision videos. The impact of using a subjective (or "ego") perspective is compared to the usual third-person perspective. [Methodology] We use shopping in rural areas as a real-world application domain for refining vision videos. Both aspects of refining vision videos were investigated in an experiment with 20 participants. [Contribution] Subjects made a significant number of additional contributions when they had received not only video or text but also both - even with very short text and short video clips. Subjective video elements were rated as positive. However, there was no significant preference for either subjective or non-subjective videos in general.