Lars Bo Eriksen

Limitations and Opportunities of System Development Methods in Web Information System Design

This article addresses the question of whether traditional object-oriented system development methods can be applied in the transformation of organizations toward web-based dissemination of information. System development methods have traditionally been argued as valuable tools in the process of capturing the complexity of information technology, organizations, and the interplay between the two. Relatively little is known about the application of traditional methods in web-based information system design. This is due partly to the limited history of web use, but also based in the normative argument that traditional methods do not play a significant role in WIS design. Through an action research project, the application of two system development methods (OMT and RMM) is evaluated. The research suggests that system development methods and a “traditional ”IT-system perspective are applicable as a tool to capture central properties of a web information system. However, the use is limited to an interior organizational perspective: that of the information provider. From the audience context, the system development methods used did not provide proper guidance. The research suggests that future research should pursue the goal of providing better support for making and capturing design decisions about IT, individual, and organizational use from the perspective of the audience side.

Evaluating software engineering modelling concepts for interactive narratives design

Webb (1996) points out that most multimedia systems are functionally more complex than conventional computer systems and are often used by a wider range of inexperienced or novice users. Also, multimedia systems often incorporate a higher degree of human—computer interaction than more conventional systems. The increased complexity in functionality is often a result of integration of modalities, time variation and navigation. The design and creation of multimedia systems is difficult and challenging (Grosky, 1994). During the last couple of years, with the evolution of hardware technologies, numerous multimedia applications have been the focus for industrial development and research interest (cf. Druin and Solomon, 1996; Plowman and Luckin, 1998; Webb, 1996). The diffusion of multimedia technologies has been so intensive that multimedia systems have emerged and penetrated almost every type of environmental settings. These applications include a wide range of computer-based systems ranging from interactive storytelling for children at a hospital unit (cf. Umaschi Bers et al., 1998), to educational titles for work professionals (cf. Lewis et al., 1998).