The ability to organize and define software requirements using AppLife DNA just got better! We’ve released version 3.0 of AppLife DNA and with this release comes an exceptional user interface mockup designer and collaborative online reviews.

The AppLife DNA Mockup Designer

Mockups are a major component of defining and designing software systems and having the ability to quickly insert and create screen mockups directly within AppLife DNA significantly improves your ability to communicate your ideas and the details of your requirements elicitation work.

Insert and Configure User Interface Elements

With the new AppLife DNA Mockup Editor, creating screen mockups is a breeze. Simply drag and drop the visual objects that you are already familiar with from the palette. Mockup visuals are configured using simple text phrases and click-able adornments. There are over 50 mockup visuals ready to use, with more to come. The mockup designer has an image gallery with 100's of images , and gallery images can be inserted into visual controls by using their names in parentheses.

Arrange and Align Elements

User interface elements can be quickly aligned using snap-lines and familiar alignment commands.

Elements can also be grouped, so that they can be manipulated as a single unit. Container controls, such as forms, tabs and panels, utilize implicit grouping providing the ability to move all of their contents around along with the container without having to create explicit groups to do so.

Start From Existing Screens

Get started quickly mocking up new features to existing applications by taking a screen shot and then paste it right into the mockup editor. Can you spot the mocked up content below?

Watch a mockup being created

Using mockups instead of hand sketches to prototype user screens lets you quickly modify the mockup based on feedback. And speaking of feedback, we've introduced a brand new way to solicit stakeholder feedback with AppLife DNA Online Reviews.

AppLife DNA Online Reviews

You’ve gathered requirements, elaborated some details, described the features and mocked up some screens. Now you need stakeholder feedback to validate your understanding and move forward. Getting stakeholder feedback at this point, when it is still cheap to change things is essential. AppLife DNA Online Reviews helps you get it.

With AppLife DNA Online Reviews you can publish any content in AppLife DNA to the Online Review Service and invite up to 20 stakeholders to participate in a short duration (1 - 14 days) online collaborative review session. We've made it as painless as possible for your stakeholders. No account or licensing needed, just an email address and an interest in the content you have published. Your stakeholders receive an email invitation with a link, where they can enter the review session, review your work, read everyone's comments and post comments themselves.

Reviewers can leave page comments, highlight and strike through text, and use digital ink for comments. When the review closes, return to AppLife DNA where you can use this valuable feedback to modify your content as necessary. With Online Reviews, everyone reviews your content at the same time and sees everyone's comments, which drastically speeds up the process and improves the quality of the feedback. It's a very quick and painless method to solicit feedback.

Passcode Encryption

For users who are concerned with publishing sensitive requirements information to the cloud, we've taken a big step towards alleviating this concern. When content is published to the Online Review system, you can choose to protect the review with a passcode. If a passcode is provided, the published document and all comments are encrypted using the passcode before being sent to the Online Review Service. The passcode is never transmitted and no one who doesn't know the passcode will ever be able to decrypt and review the published content.

Short Durations for Fast Turnaround

Online Review durations are short, usually only a few days. This encourages stakeholders to contribute now, not later, and also encourages collaborative back and fourth feedback. When a review closes, the Online Review service keeps the content only long enough for the publisher to retrieve the information from AppLife DNA, and then disposes of all published data. Online Reviews live for a short, sweet, and effective period of time.

The Online Review service can be used during the AppLife DNA 30 day evaluation period, so download AppLife DNA and check out this exciting new method of soliciting requirements feedback today!