This talk is for anyone interested in achieving "the best of both worlds" with agile development and user-centered design. I also intend to address the concerns of skeptical UX professionals who think of agile as simply the latest industry buzzword, and wonder how the turmoil of disrupting tried and tested work practices could possibly improve the process and quality of the results. I share some practical advice based on my own experiences working in an agile environment and share some of the insights culled from our interest group of practitioners in Switzerland. I address questions such as: * What needs to be in place at the start of an agile software project to achieve a successful outcome ("iteration zero")? * Should a UX designer act as Product Owner in agile ("UXPO")? * How to best integrate user research in agile development? * What are the challenges and solutions for collaborating effectively within a multi-disciplinary agile team?

1. (P)
LESSONS LEARNED
(P)HILIPP SCHRÖDER
AGILE UX IN REAL LIFE
15.5.2013

2. ➡ Individuals and interactions over processes
and tools
➡ Working software over comprehensive
documentation
➡ Customer collaboration over contract
negotiation
➡ Responding to change over following a plan
AGILE MANIFESTO
HTTP://AGILEMANIFESTO.ORG/

3. 1 ITERATION = 1 SPRINT = 1 TO 3 WEEKS
ITERATIVE DEVELOPMENT
(SCRUM PROCESS)
24hrs
Sprint planning End of project
Sprint review
Sprint
retrospective
Product Backlog Development
Goal achieved /
money run down

4. WATERFALL VERSUS AGILE
Waterfall
Development
Model
Agile
Development
Model
Analysis
Design
Programming
Testing
Time
Handover Handover Handover
i1
A
P
D
T
Time
i2
A
P
D
T
i3
A
P
D
T
i4
A
P
D
T
i5
A
P
D
T
Inspect Inspect Inspect Inspect
AdaptAdapt
Inspect
Adapt Adapt

5. A way to improve efficiency & effectiveness
➡ Keeping focus on (customer) value
➡ Removing non valuable activities
(e.g. excessive documentation)
➡ Optimizing the workflow & information flow
to achieve the shared goal (cf. Kanban)
➡ Attention to symptoms of overburden
(work with a sustainable pace)
LEAN THINKING

6. Visual Design
Site Objectives
User Needs
Content
Requirements
Functional
Specifications
Interaction
Design
Information
Architecture
Information Design
Navigation DesignInterface Design
Concrete Completion
ConceptionAbstract
time
Surface
Skeleton
Structure
Scope
Strategy
Concrete Completion
ConceptionAbstract
time
HTTP://WWW.JJG.NET/ELEMENTS/
THE ELEMENTS OF USER
EXPERIENCE
Surface: Design the visual
presentation of user interface
Skeleton: Design the
arrangement and contents of
individual screens; navigation
Structure: Define the
'information architecture' of the
user interface
Scope: Narrow down the
requirements for features and
content
Strategy: Gather business
goals and user needs

7. Visual Design
Site Objectives
User Needs
Content
Requirements
Functional
Specifications
Interaction
Design
Information
Architecture
Information Design
Navigation DesignInterface Design
Concrete Completion
ConceptionAbstract
time
HTTP://WWW.JJG.NET/ELEMENTS/
THE ELEMENTS OF USER
EXPERIENCE
User Needs &
Business Goals
Observe
Both!

8. My personal favorites...
BENEFITS OF AGILE

9. Agile can shorten the time from idea to delivery
➡ Fast delivery (an increment of working
software each iteration)
➡ Focus (focus on business value, important
features first, less waste)
➡ Informed decisions (decide in the latest
responsible moment)
TIME TO MARKET

10. IMAGE: CC BY SA CHARLIE LLEWELLIN ON FLICKR
SUSTAINABLE PACE
The iterative process facilitates working at a regular pace.
The pace of last iterations can guide the target for the next iteration.
The agile principles enable flow, a state of focussed concentration.

11. SCRUM PROCESSJANICE FRASER'S UX CYCLES
UX
CYCLES
AGILE
DEVELOPMENT
COMMON GROUND:
WORKING ITERATIVELY
THINK
Generative Research,
Ideation,
Test Results,
Competitive Analysis MAKE
Sketches,
Wireframes,
Mockups,
Prototypes,
Deployed Code
EVALUATE
Feedback,
Site Analytics,
Usability Testing
Planning End
ReviewRetrospective
Backlog Development

12. Sometimes referred to as “iteration zero”
WHAT NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE AT
THE START OF ITERATION ONE?

13. An UX practitioner’s answer:
➡ The (design) strategy
➡ Business requirements
➡ User research
➡ Personas, scenarios
➡ ... yaddi yaddi yadda ...
➡ And a design framework
Big
Design
Up Front
WHAT NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE AT
THE START OF DEVELOPMENT?

14. An agile practitioner’s answer:
➡ A product vision
➡ A prioritized product backlog
➡ A product owner
➡ A development team
WHAT NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE AT
THE START OF ITERATION ONE?
Inspect
&
Adapt

15. AGILE PROJECT CHARTER
DON’T OBSESS ABOUT THE BIG
PICTURE, GET A COMPASS.
Business goal 1
Business goals
Success criteria
Users / customer value
Team / roles
Working agreements
Project context
...
➡ How do we know we are successful?
➡ Who are our users? What is the value for them?
➡ Clarify expectations about the roles in the team.
➡ Jointly define operational guidelines (Definition of Done, ...)
➡ Clarify interfaces to parties involved in the project
➡ Adjust / add as needed
Project title
Business goal 2 Business goal 3
HowWhy
Use agile chartering to map out the territory

16. How to best integrate user research in agile
development?
USER RESEARCH AND
THE AGILE FEEDBACK LOOP

17. LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR
RESEARCH & CO-DESIGN
Product Owner
Developers
UX Researcher
Customer
Service Rep
Users
MON TUE WED THU FRI MON TUE WED THU FRI
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18. SHOULD A UX DESIGNER ACT AS
PRODUCT OWNER IN AGILE
(“UXPO”)?

19. THE AGILE PRODUCT OWNER
Domain
expertise
Business User-centered
Design
Technology

20. PO TEAM
- Focus on the “what” /
problem space
- Who is our customer and
what is a problem that is
worth solving?
- Leverages user research
methods (cf. Lean startup:
customer development)
THE PO TEAM / DEV TEAM COMBO
DEVELOPMENT TEAM
- Focus on the “how” /
solution space
- Figures out how to best
solve the defined problem
- Leverages agile
development principles
Relieving the "PO as a bottleneck" problem
close collaboration /
collaborative design

21. COLLABORATING IN A
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY AGILE TEAM

22. COMMUNICATE LIGHT, VISIBLY &
COLLABORATE ACROSS ROLES

23. HTTP://STYLETIL.ES/
STYLE TILES FINAL SITE
ITERATE VISUAL LANGUAGE IN A
LIGHTWEIGHT WAY

24. LIVE STYLE GUIDE
BUILD A MODULAR DESIGN.
CONTINUALLY REFINE & REFACTOR.

25. My personal take on it
➡ Good profits and repeat business requires
happy and loyal customers
➡ Happy and loyal customers require products /
services with great user experience
➡ Great software requires great collaboration
during product development (cf. Conway's Law)
TAKE AWAY:
COLLABORATION IS KEY

26. (P)
WWW.VISUALPUN.CH
PS@VISUALPUN.CH
(P)HILIPP SCHRÖDER
MERCI!