Kaushik Ghosh http://experienceisking.com [kaushik.t.ghosh@gmail.com] Agile & UX: Can they be married?

UX process as a Plug-in to Water fall Model

What are the shortcomings Loss of communication Often process data or user input does not get translated into the build Large chunky PRDs are rarely followed, defeating purpose of detailed documentation Loss of coordination Design inputs are so far ahead of development that the co-ordination is lost Often the decision does not flow from product management to Development, rather local sporadic iterations within individual teams lead to fragmented versions Time & effort management issues Bugs and other testing issues take up too much time before the next cycle begins Target for a stable build always gets postponed No effective allocation of time for scheduling User Testing for the current release UAT bench is always under too much pressure to handle issues at hand and starting on new components Change requests are difficult to accommodate

Loss of communication

Often process data or user input does not get translated into the build

Large chunky PRDs are rarely followed, defeating purpose of detailed documentation

Loss of coordination

Design inputs are so far ahead of development that the co-ordination is lost

Often the decision does not flow from product management to Development, rather local sporadic iterations within individual teams lead to fragmented versions

Time & effort management issues

Bugs and other testing issues take up too much time before the next cycle begins

Target for a stable build always gets postponed

No effective allocation of time for scheduling User Testing for the current release

UAT bench is always under too much pressure to handle issues at hand and starting on new components

Change requests are difficult to accommodate

Comparison of Agile and UXD Agile proponents promote Short development cycles (Internet applications) More active customer involvement Smaller ‘feature set’ driven development concurrent and modular Analysis, Observation, Development, Testing More manageability and traceability Agile methods are considered Lightweight People-based rather than Plan-based UXD practitioners promote Strong focus on the user & work flow Constant iteration with feedback on design Progression from High level to detail level Consideration of experience from a holistic approach UXD methods are considered Precursor to the development process Goal and activity oriented Divergent: [breaks down the process into small components] Convergent: [integrates small components into one unified experience]

Agile proponents promote

Short development cycles (Internet applications)

More active customer involvement

Smaller ‘feature set’ driven development

concurrent and modular Analysis, Observation, Development, Testing

More manageability and traceability

Agile methods are considered

Lightweight

People-based rather than Plan-based

UXD practitioners promote

Strong focus on the user & work flow

Constant iteration with feedback on design

Progression from High level to detail level

Consideration of experience from a holistic approach

UXD methods are considered

Precursor to the development process

Goal and activity oriented

Benefits of the marriage Smaller ‘feature set’ driven development Large components will be broken down early to manageable sizes Analysis, Observation, Development, Testing will be concurrent and modular More manageability and traceability Pending issues will not pile up as ‘to be done’, rather they will be scoped in the subsequent quick cycles Close interaction between the team members ensure immediate attention to issues & concerns Monitoring progress will be based on the Sprints rather than man-weeks or man-months

Smaller ‘feature set’ driven development

Large components will be broken down early to manageable sizes

Analysis, Observation, Development, Testing will be concurrent and modular

More manageability and traceability

Pending issues will not pile up as ‘to be done’, rather they will be scoped in the subsequent quick cycles

Close interaction between the team members ensure immediate attention to issues & concerns

Monitoring progress will be based on the Sprints rather than man-weeks or man-months

Concerns about the marriage The cycles in Agile process tend to get smaller and hence there may be logistical issues for User Task Analysis which are usually done for a combination of feature sets Testing on the current build will need to be accommodated within the subsequent cycle Managing roadmap and prioritization needs to start well in advance Management mandates and their impacts would have to be accommodated in the cycles Technical platforms, tools and frameworks will have to be taken care of before the process is launched

The cycles in Agile process tend to get smaller and hence there may be logistical issues for User Task Analysis which are usually done for a combination of feature sets

Testing on the current build will need to be accommodated within the subsequent cycle

Managing roadmap and prioritization needs to start well in advance

Management mandates and their impacts would have to be accommodated in the cycles

Technical platforms, tools and frameworks will have to be taken care of before the process is launched

What is then the ‘Key’? Integrate UX as a part of the Agile cycles User stories are developed straight from personas and scenario diagrams, which will be iterated in the following sprints But it is not wise to use them if one did not have access to users and proxy users in later sprints as they do require to be fleshed out in more detail during the development sprints During ‘sprint 0’ the user stories are usually quite high level and can be broken down to the required level of detail during the development sprints. A story will take the form of [- As a <user type> I want <some feature> So that <reason for the feature>.. Index cards can be used and the user (or user advocate / proxy user) is usually encouraged to write the stories themselves under facilitation Change Requests are taken up in parallel with the current sprint form the earlier ones The UXD team members should act as user representatives armed with the persona and actual feedback findings Simplicity: the art of maximizing the amount of work not done (approaching the Δ) is essential The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams

Integrate UX as a part of the Agile cycles

User stories are developed straight from personas and scenario diagrams, which will be iterated in the following sprints

But it is not wise to use them if one did not have access to users and proxy users in later sprints as they do require to be fleshed out in more detail during the development sprints

During ‘sprint 0’ the user stories are usually quite high level and can be broken down to the required level of detail during the development sprints. A story will take the form of [- As a <user type> I want <some feature> So that <reason for the feature>.. Index cards can be used and the user (or user advocate / proxy user) is usually encouraged to write the stories themselves under facilitation

Change Requests are taken up in parallel with the current sprint form the earlier ones

The UXD team members should act as user representatives armed with the persona and actual feedback findings

Simplicity: the art of maximizing the amount of work not done (approaching the Δ) is essential

The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams

Proposed Agile UX Process W: Week # UAT: User Acceptance Test PRD: Product Requirement Definition SCRUM: Smallest unit in Agile

Proposed Agile UX Process Timeline