[certus]

I'm currently working to come up with a structured methodology for website systems design and my work has revealed that website system design is considerably more complex than traditional programming applications.

One of the popular frameworks for a methodology in traditional systems development framework called the Zachman Framework.

In the Zachman framework there are six "swimlanes" and six phases to developing a system. This is based on the six interrogatives and the deliverables of a construction metaphor.

In the illustration below you can see the swimlanes (columns) and the phases (rows).

The swimlanes:

1. When - The Schedule
2. Why - The Goals
3. Where - The Hardware
4. How - The Software
5. What - The Data
6. Who - The Users

These swimlanes are addressed in parallel through the phases:

1. Conceptual - An inventory of all the components for each swimlane
2. Contextual - The relationships between the componentw within each swimlane
3. Logical - The ideal model of the system
4. Physical - The model with the constraints of the tools being used
5. Construct - The finished product produced by the tools for the swimlane
6. Instance - The actual use of the system

[certus]

I found that the Zachman Framework was inadequate for a Websited Development Lifecycle and looked for alternatives. What I found was the Bliss Classification System (BC2). Instead of six interrogatives, there are twelve. I found with little effort that I could account for all the major components of a website using this classification system.

We now had 12 swimlanes for the 6 phases.

1. Cause - The goal of using the site
2. Matter - The Data (XML)
3. Energy - The Software (Java)
4. Space - The Server (Linux)
5. Time - The scheduling of events
6. Agent - The Browsers designed for (Firefox)
7. Kind - The visual characteristics
8. Part - The graphic layout (CSS)
9. Material - The written content (XHTML)
10. Operation - How the objects behave
11. Patient - The Audiences of the website (demographics)
12. Effect - The transactions that can occur

All of these swimlanes are addressed in parallel phase by phase.

The result is a clear set of deliverables at each phase. A report of cost of each phase. And a calculation of delivered benefits after a set number of instances have occurred.

[certus]

I consider the swimlane approach better than the linear approach because it allows each major component of the website to have a lifecycle of its own.

[certus]

Imagine a set of documentation where for each phase (column) a deliverable for each swimlane (row) is separately covered. As the project progresses the entire site is worked on in unison by the team and presented to the user for review. The first four phases can be graphically documented with minimal textual documentation for support. For small projects the deliverable for each phase may only be one page for each swimlane. For more complex sites the documentation is scalable. The construct phase is the final deliverable for each swimlane.

[freelancr]

?

[certus]

It's called methodology and documentation, feelancer. It makes a website portable, maintainable and accountable. There's simply too many companies belching out sites without a shred of documentation except for a bill. If you want to tell your "web designer" to pack his bags and get the hell out of your office you're stuck with a black box website that you are often better off chucking out the window and starting over than having to decipher how the hell the thing works.

It's about process and giving the power back to the person who pays for the site. Good method and good documentation does that.

It's also about quantifiability. Providing estimates and actuals for costs for each component for each phase. Its about tracking actual performance of the site once it's running and determining whether any benefit is being derived from each of the components of the website. Finally it is about comparing the cumulative costs to the cumulative benefits of the site to provide a conclusion as to whether the site is cost effective.

Yeah, it's all there in that one diagram.

[bender]

A weird monologue. Still can't figure out if it's spam. Is it? I've seen some of the weirdest spam lately. I'm suspicious.

Originally Posted by certus

6. Agent - The Browsers designed for (Firefox)

Developing exclusively for a browser that isn't the number one browser. Brave. Or stupid. Your client won't like it even if you convince him that firefox is better than IE. He'll still want the maximum reach. Which isn't achieved by developing for only one browser in the first place.
A weird. Reply. For a weird. Post.
Forget swimlanes. Just make a good site.

[rbastien]

Thanks certus! I will definately look at this closer as soon as I get home.

I don't believe this is spam, I see it as an in-depth view of criteria you have to meet and consider when designing a website.

[lukasarts]

Sorry, think I'd rather spend the time making the website work/look good than explaining to the client what 'Framework swimlanes' are. Just sounds a bit pretentious.

[freelancr]

Originally Posted by lukasarts

Just sounds a bit pretentious.

Sounds like a load of bollocks to me!