Dr. Yvonne Dittrich

Software Development Group
IT University of Copenhagen

Rued Langaardsvej 7
DK 2300 Copenhagen S Denmark
+45-7218-5177 (tel)

ydi@itu.dk
CV

Interested in Master Theses?

E.g. around

  • Use Oriented Design and Development,
  • Empirical Studies for Software Development,
  • Evolvable Software Products
  • End User Development

Check out the poster!

My main research interests

Since my time as a student I am interested in use oriented design and development of software. In the last years i especially focussed on the flexible and adaptable software.

Use-orientation cuts across the sub-divisions of software engineering. Process management has to allow for evolution and co-operation with users; architectures have to support vertical and horizontal prototyping; requirements are under re-design throughout the life cycle and so on. The product of software development, the processes that lead to it and the context of use respectively its change and development have to be regarded as interlaced domains of reality. Use oriented design has to take all three dimensions into account.

To be able to develop relevant guidelines and methods, I focus in empirical research on the actual work practice of software development. I use qualitative social science methods informed by ethnography and ethnomethodology. Cooperative Method Development uses empirical findings to adapt and further develop methods together with practitioners.

Under the heading 'Design for Change', we looked e.g. at methods, techniques and tools promoting the design of adaptable software that can be tailored to a developing work practice.  Tailorable software brings design to use. It challenges traditional ways to organise software development. Flexible and agile approaches to software processes allow for a interlace of design activities and use. 

Current projects

We are editing a special issue on 'Software Development as Cooperative Work' for the CSCW Journal. Check the webpage for more information!

Designing Evolvable Software Products

Software kernels are found in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, game engines, simulation software, content management systems, telecommunication infrastructure, and many other software products. A software kernel encapsulates and provides core functionality, and each specific software product is then developed by deploying and adapting this kernel. The goal of this project is to develop methods and technologies for the conscious identification, design and implementation of software kernels, and so to promote the development of families of software products, and should support an agile and competitive software industry.

The project runs for the three years 2006-2008 and is funded the Danish government through NABIIT, a research council for nano-, bio- and information technologies.The external industrial partners are DHI Vand og Miljø, and Microsoft Business Solutions. Click for more information.

The BEFORE project that is part of broader cooperation between Microsoft Business Solutions and The IT University addresses ERP systems, ontologies and model driven development.

 

Teaching

Recent PhD courses:

Current courses for the M.Sc. programs at the IT University:

  • Advanced Software Engineering (Spring 2010)
How did I get there?

I studied computer science at the Technical University Darmstadt, Germany. 1997, I finished my Ph.D. at the Department of Computer Science, Hamburg University, with Prof. Christiane Floyd as a supervisor. Thereafter I spend seven years in Ronneby Sweden. I have been working at the Blekinge Institute of Technology. My colleague Olle Lindeberg and I, started up a small but ambitious research group: Use Oriented Design and Developing of Software. In August 2003, I started to work at the  IT-University in Copenhagen, currently I am member of the software development group.

Beside that I am member of the Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und Gesellschaftliche Verantwortung the German sister organisation of the CPSR Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility .

And I am interested in Gender and Equality issues.

So far so good - The job might be most of the life time, but it is not all - Or?

  • Music. I love to listen to music, classical, jazz, and a lot more. Copenhagn is wonderful 
  • Cooking for my friends. I definitely like to have guests. Sometimes they have to stand my experiments. But most of them come again :-)
  • I read every kind of stuff, sometimes. I am a declared fan of Peter Høeg.
  • In Copenhagen, I learned how to sail - its a lot of fun.
  • Even as I have a car now, I cycle - and sail and swim and hike and am lazy outdoors
  • and yoga, and 

Gosh, there is really a lot, when you start writing about it.

... this is North Cape

... and this is me at North Cape

Address: Software Development Group, IT-University Copenhagen, Rued Langaards Vej 7,
2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark 
Page responsible: Yvonne Dittrich Page updated: February 9th, 2009