When design is based on random choices, the end product is an assembly of random elements that have little or nothing in common. But when design forces all elements to work together, then it makes a single, powerful, and meaningful impression to the user. This presentation describes a design driven approach called Strong Center Design that is being used at our software studios. It was necessary to incorporate this flow into an agile workflow and we discuss what we learned on that too.

1. Product
Design
Agile Project
in an

2. Here’s
Your
Team
George Lange NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images synth bass line. [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/season-6-pictured-michael-richards-as-
cosmo-kramer-julia-news-photo/138432011?license

3. Powerful
Person
Request
Problem
Photographee.eu / Shutterstock.com.

4. Slowly
Veer off
Course
Problem
Photo credit: Unknown

5. Everything
is High
Priority
Problem
Taiga / Shutterstock.com.

6. Every Person
is Building a
Different
Product
Fact

7. Do one thing well^

8. Strong
Center
Design
Blend all parts of a
software product to
make a single
impression.
Requirement

9. Mish Mash

10. Graphic
Designers
Use Gestalt
Principles

11. Strong
Center
Design for
Invisible
Parts
Microexpression
- Upper lid is raised
- Lower lip is raised
- Nose is wrinkled
- Cheeks are raised
- Lines show below the lower lid
Science of People. Retrieved from http://www.scienceofpeople.com/2013/09/guide-reading-microexpressions/

12. North Star
WHY this product?
[What is most meaningful to people]

13. NorthStar
Example
Real time traffic intelligence
But has to have basic navigation.

14. Strong
Center
Guides
Decision
Does this enhance the
product meaning or get in the
way of the product meaning?
^

15. Strong
Center
Example
Spend time on this?
The cheapest gas station on my route.
Reduce battery usage for passive data
collection.
Restaurants nearby.
Walking directions.
Out
Out
Out
IN

16. Strong
Center
Design +
Agile
Five options to consider

17. Option 1
Design up
front
Insert dedicated design sprint zero
[ Has same pitfalls as waterfall ]
Sprint 0
Sprint 1
Sprint 2
Sprint 3

18. Option 2
Design in
each sprint
A little design at the beginning of every sprint
[ Delays development ]
[ Either design or software development productivity suffers ]
Sprint 1
Sprint 2
Sprint 3
Sprint 4

19. Design two
sprints ahead
Two separate workflows in each sprint
[ Design first makes the process less agile ]
[ Design team has to support different sprints ]
Sprint 1
Sprint 2
Sprint 3
Sprint 4
Option 3

20. Option 4
Dedicated
design
sprints
Sprints oscillate between design & development
[ Developers may not have skills for design sprints]
[ Designers may not have skills for development sprints]
Sprint 1
Sprint 2
Sprint 3
Sprint 4

21. Option 5
Designer &
developer
partnership
Pair a designer with a couple developers
[ Hard to achieve wholeness in the design ]
[ Difficult with distributed team ]
Sprint 1
Sprint 2
Sprint 3
Sprint 4

22. works What we have learned
what

23. Lesson 1
North Star before
green light
NL shop / ClipartOf.

24. Lesson 2
Hybrid approach works best
A little design up front
Designer partnership with developer
+

25. Lesson 3
Product Designer
replaces Product
Owner

26. We like Agile software development
But…

27. But….
Agile won’t fix your
products

28. Our
Philosophy
Product design matters
It transforms a product

29. Take a commodity
Bag of features

30. Into a unique experience
Transform it

31. Theresa Smith
SphereOI Sphere_OITSmith@SphereOI.com