A workshop I ran for our organization, as part of our move towards agile development processes. I focused on why it was helpful for developers to be included in defining the problem, rather than choosing a potentially costly tech solution from the outset.

1. How to Ask Developers for
(CMS) Stuff
By Developers Near You

2. Why does process
matter, anyway?

5. How Do We Ask For
Stuff?

6. Feature Request
“Build me a…”
● “Build me a…. “
● “Let’s put a …”
● Focuses on solution
● Seems simpler than it is.
● Leads to more questions from
other depts.

7. User Story
“As a user, I can/want/need
____, so that _____.”
● Shifts the focus from writing
requirements to talking about
them. (more here)
● Should be written
collaboratively. (here)
● Adds context to feature
requests, and allows for flexible
solutions.
● Keeps us from hastily building
costly tech solutions.

8. “Get me a pony!”

9. As a person, I need a
pony so that...
1. I can deal with SXSW by having a
non-vehicular mode of transportation
down Congress Ave!
2. my nephew isn’t disappointed. I forgot
today’s his birthday, and he loves
ponies!
3. we have lead art for Sid Miller’s
cupcake story, which now involves
ponies AND cupcakes!

10. “Let’s put a link here.”

11. As an editor, I’d like a
link here so that….
1. people will see this cool new series
we’re launching.
2. we can keep our readers updated
every time there’s a new story in the
series.
3. there’s a little visual interest in the
right rail of the page.

12. Focus on the “why”.
Start with problems, not
features or solutions.

13. “Ensure that only one user can be in
a file at one time - lock other folks
out. If a person tries to open a file
that’s occupied, CMS should tell that
person who’s actually in the file.”
As an editor I can...
● know when someone else is in the
story so that I won’t overwrite them
or have my changes overwritten.
Actual Example

14. Let’s try a few...
on our current list.