Re: Functional Needs sub-group 16 July 2020

I think all organizational models and visualizations are helpful at this point.
I find it difficult to view this spreadsheet with the amount of vertical space constrained by locked rows.

I infer from the table that the relationship here is that one functional need aligns to one user need aligns to many functional outcomes. So, I am not sure that scales to {n} user needs. But that depends on consensus of a definition of user needs.

Michael described this once as a matrix. It is quite possible that there is a many-to-many relationship. My hope is that if we start from the Functional Needs, it could be expressed in a one-to-many relationship. Noting of course that several Functional Needs would have the same User Needs and the same Functional Outcomes. The variants would almost entirely be in aligning Functional Needs to Guidelines and Methods and not to User Needs and Functional Outcomes. The reason being, that everyone needs to (from the example) understand the headings, but WHAT they need in order to have that outcome varies by the Functional Need and that variance is described in Methods. So, I am not sure something like the following would be useful at all.

One Functional Need
Use without vision
Many User Needs (within the scope of a goal, a path, a process, a flow, or a task)
I need to pay a bill (without vision)
I need to buy a thing
I need to change my account info
I need to find a contractor
I need to research a health symptom
Many Many Functional Outcomes (within the scope of a guideline and its methods)
I perceived the headings (without vision, while paying a bill; while buying a thing…)
I understood the headings
I found the correct action
I activated the control
I received feedback of the success state of the action

If the definition of Functional Outcomes remains the two-part version from the Content Migration Guide –  a clause that describes the result if the user need is being met and a clause that describes how it benefits the user – then, the major difference in approach is that Functional Outcomes will be more specific and align to fewer Functional Needs. Which also means there will be many more Functional Outcomes.

In this Functional Outcomes example, “[Uses visually distinct headings] [so sighted readers can determine the structure].”, all Functional Needs apply except Use without vision and Use without vision and hearing.
In this example, “Users perceive headings.”, all Functional Needs apply.
In either format, the same Functional Outcome is replicated by the Functional Needs.

Charles Hall

Senior Accessibility Designer
Invited Expert, W3C AGWG & Silver TF
Chair, W3C IDIW CG
Member, Ferndale Accessibility & Inclusion Advisory Commission

> On Jul 19, 2020, at 9:20 AM, jake abma <jake.abma@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MTT_CV4HaHGUOuAUdQR3Wb61JxfXMNTFffcyTi0_wTI/edit#gid=1290202920 <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MTT_CV4HaHGUOuAUdQR3Wb61JxfXMNTFffcyTi0_wTI/edit#gid=1290202920>
> 
> Op zo 19 jul. 2020 om 15:20 schreef jake abma <jake.abma@gmail.com <mailto:jake.abma@gmail.com>>:
> Hi,
> 
> Created a spreadsheet with the Master List and another column for User Needs and mapping to functional outcomes.
> Just for a small exercise would this be interesting to see to add some user needs AND some functional outcomes?
> 
> If we have such a sample, we might be able to better judge relations and how to test the functional outcomes.
> 
> If agreed I can continue the spreadsheet and fill in some data.
> Please let me know what you think.
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> Jake
> 
> Op do 16 jul. 2020 om 01:25 schreef Michael Cooper <cooper@w3.org <mailto:cooper@w3.org>>:
> Reminder the functional needs group will meet at 11:30 Boston time on 16 July. I haven't had time to prepare and agenda, but we'll have plenty to talk about. Telecon: https://www.w3.org/2017/08/telecon-info_a11y-functional <https://www.w3.org/2017/08/telecon-info_a11y-functional>
> Michael
>