Particularly in complex development environments, it is important to ensure that there is no room for interpretation for the programmers in designing the software for the display and control concepts. A clear and detailed documentation is therefore an important component for ensuring the software does not contain any errors.

Content and scope of our activities

All components required for programming must be documented or specified with as much detail as possible. These overarching requirements (basic operating concept) are important in determining the limits for the overall system. They offer a modular system for designing specific content. 

• For example, documents such as the general golden rules that describe system-wide relevant and recurring behavior.
• Another important component is a GUI catalog, which describes all system elements (widgets) and defines their exact operation.
• Other key components are the definitions of function-specific operating procedures, such as the navigation function of an automotive infotainment system.
• In addition, the various possibilities of interaction, the so-called operating modalities, must be defined and described. It is important to decide whether an interface should be controlled, for example, via touchscreen, remotely, or through voice commands.
• Another important component in this context is the formulation of user-friendly source texts. On the one hand, these are crucial to clearly convey the contents of the system to the user. On the other hand, they form the basis for internationalizing the system.

Our tools

In principle, specifications can be designed in many different forms using a range of tools. Our work focuses on UML-based state charts (e.g., MS Visio), click dummies (e.g., Axure RP), or textual specifications (MS Word/MS Excel/ODP (JAVA based)).