Hypermedia Systems Development: Do We Really Need New Methods?

Hypermedia systems design presents challenges that are not normally encountered with the development of orthodox ‘traditional’ information systems. In recognition of these challenges, and of the purported inadequacy of conventional software engineering techniques, there is much support in the literature for the view that new, specialized methods are needed. The question must therefore be asked: do we really need new methods for hypermedia systems design? This research-in-progress paper provides an outline answer by asking how hypermedia systems differ significantly from ‘traditional’ information systems, by hypothesizing why specialized hypermedia design methods set forth in the literature are not being use in practice, and by suggesting a number of implications.