This is just an idea because I have not seen it done before.  A few years ago I started down a path that looked like it would end with this but I haven’t had the opportunity to see it through.

Wouldn’t it be cool if we could simply watch a movie of the feature that we are being asked to create?

One of the problems with most of the current forms of specification is that they are “stills.”  The problem with “stills” is that the software that we are expected to write actually moves.  It seems to me that the best way to describe a software feature would be to make a movie of it in action.

Demos are supposed to be something like this.  The problem that I have with demos is that they are usually made by developing more software.  When I say motion pictures, I really mean movies, not demos.  There shouldn’t be a shred of developed software in it and they should depict user interaction.  If you try to write a software demo it will slow you down unless that software is developed using TDD and that takes time to do right.  Typically, demo development is done by casting off all good practice and slamming it out.  What I’m talking about here is literally a “mock-up”, meaning that it can’t be real code, just a picture.  Another problem with demos is that they focus on selling to customers.  I suggest that these videos focus training.

Software can’t be used for this because the point is to train, not make.  Once again, it would be best to make this movie in very small story-sized segments so that development work can start and feedback can be produced in the real world before a multi-million dollar training movie investment is made (not to mention multi-multi-million the wasted software might cost).

(p.s. TVDD stands for Training Video Driven Development   )