Prototyping praxis: Constructing computer systems and building belief

This article explores the consequences of the uncertainty introduced into t he system-development life cycle by a prototyping approach and the practica l strategies employed by developers in prototyping projects. Drawing on var ious strands of the sociology of technology, the article discusses findings from a multidisciplinary research project, which investigated the use of p rototyping in commercial information systems development in the United King dom during the period 1995 to 1998. Qualitative semistructured interviews w ith commercial practitioners were followed by a series of mini case studies . We draw on interview and participant observation material and the practit ioner literature on Rapid Application Development. In the course of the pro ject, we encountered a variety of practical strategies that attempted to ex tend the sphere of developers' influence beyond the technical realm to affe ct (but not determine) how the user and customer participate in the develop ment process. Various techniques attempt to create a climate of joint owner ship and shared approaches to change management. For example, the role of a n ambassador user encompasses shaping the environment in which the system w ill operate via information, training, and advocacy. Rather than a cause-an d-effect model from user requirements to specification to implementation, d eveloper strategies usefully can be considered in terms of sociological wor k on reflexive elaboration of networks. From this perspective, prototyping is more akin to trying to stabilize a network of evolving prototypes, user expectations, requirements, and working practices than meeting a fixed spec ification.