Effective communication is critical to the success of a software development project. It factors into the productivity of individuals and organizations, and has particular impact when change occurs. Yet communication is generally left unsupported by the software development process and by the communication infrastructure. We address this issue in the context of two software development projects at NYNEX through a conceptual framework called Design Intent. There are three innovations in our approach. Design Intent encourages stakeholders to engage in active listening, enables stakeholders to collaboratively construct a consistent understanding of the development effort, and provides a communication infrastructure for stakeholders to share ideas and participate in discussions.
Michael E. Atwood, Bart Burns, Dieter Gairing, And