The document discusses the challenges and strategies for integrating user experience (UX) within agile and scrum teams, highlighting the importance of agile principles in fostering collaboration and flexibility. It identifies common pitfalls such as overlapping roles and the perception of UX professionals as mere wireframe creators, while offering solutions to incorporate user research and testing. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of proactive communication, facilitating workshops, and building relationships within the team to improve the agile process for UX designers.

1. AgileUX
Learning to Lead
-or-
EverybodyWantstoRuletheWorld
Chris Farnum
MSU XA Club, 2/12/2018

2. Yep, I know I’m
time stamping
myself…
I’ve been doing
this for a while.

3. It can be challenging to be the voice of UX when
you are on a scrum team. Sometimes it can be
easy to feel lost within Agile.

4. Agile /Scrum Basics
Let’s start with some quick background on Agile in case not
everyone is familiar

5. Agile
manifesto
viaUXCollective
https://uxdesign.cc/product-
design-playbook-103d3a5cf2e3
AgileAlliance defines Agile as “the ability
to create and respond to change in order
to succeed in an uncertain and turbulent
environment.”
A Manifesto with 12 principles was written
in February of 2001 by 17 software
practitioners.
http://agilemanifesto.org/

6. Agile
Principles-
Highlights
http://agilemanifesto.org/
Emphasis on collaboration in small teams
over documentation
Willingness to be flexible, accept changes
in direction
Deliver working code sooner, iterate
Teams self-organize to plan their own
work
Process includes time for reflection and
continuous improvement

7. AgileAdoption
ViaVersionOne’s 11th AnnualState
of Agile Survey, Apr 2017
http://stateofagile.versionone.com/
Agile is widely accepted but many
orgs are still figuring it out.

8. Agile teams
may include
some or all of
these roles
 Project Manager / Scrum Master
 User Experience Designer
 UX Researcher
 Tech lead- backend
 Front end dev
 Visual design
 Content editor
 BusinessAnalyst
 QA
 Product Owner / Product Manager

9. AgileScrum
Via Scrum Alliance
https://www.scrumalliance.org/
Scrum is an Agile framework.There
are others, for example Kanban

10. UserStories
Example via Agile for
Growth
http://agileforgrowth.com/blog/acc
eptance-criteria-checklist/
Story / user statement
Example:
Acceptance criteria
Guideline – avoid defining UI and
solutions in AC wording. Focus
on who, what, when, why.
Journey > Epic > Story
Task Task Task
More…
Story point estimate, workflow
information, related stories,
links to design docs, standards…

11. Agile sounds good
right, but where
doesUX fit?
User experience and information architecture got started when
most dev was “waterfall.” Define -> Design (create a spec) -> Build

12. UX-ers can
work inAgile
teams in two
very different
ways
Shared resource
• UX is involved in portions of projects, especially early
design
• May work on multiple projects and multitask
• Design work precedes stories and estimation
• Can sometimes feel waterfall-esque
Embedded on a team
• “Dedicated resource” – part of the sprint
• More likely that UX tasks are part of user stories that are
estimated along with development effort
• Level of utilization might be high at times, low at others

13. Typical tasks
owned byUX
 “Sprint Zero” – lead kickoff and discovery
 Personas, user journeys, goal setting
 Site maps, user flows
 Wireframes / design
 Write stories, requirements
 User testing / research
 Support the team
 Content
 Review
 QA
 more…

14. DualTrack
Scrum =UX
Utopia
Via Jeff Patton
https://jpattonassociates.com/dual-
track-development/

15. Common Pitfalls
andChallenges
Here are some common problems that you might encounter while
working with Agile teams, especially when you are a junior.And also
some approaches and philosophy for coping.

16. TheTeam –
ManyCooks…
Problem:
Overlapping roles – especially when UX is new to the organization,
especially:
 Business analysists
 Content writers/strategists
 Designers
 Engineers…
Approach:
Everybody on the team should care about UX and design thinking. But
one person,YOU, owns the role.
 Be a good facilitator and collaborator
 Seek input and feedback frequently
 Listen and give credit to others for good ideas
 Win respect and trust over time

17. Deliverables,
especially
wireframes…
Problem:
Getting perceived as a wireframe monkey…
 No time for UX process - “Can’t you just make a fast wireframe?”
 When they become your only deliverable
 Constant updating
 “That looks ugly. Move this over a few pixels, and change the font…”
Approach:
Be conscious of how you’ll use wireframes
 Discuss the purpose of wireframes with the team
 Figure out what details / how much fidelity your team needs
 Decide when to stop updating
 Focus on the value of OTHER types of deliverables
 Sometimes you don’t need detailed wireframes if shared
understanding already exists – maybe a quick whiteboard sketch?

18. Making the
case for user
research and
testing
Problem:
Teams in a hurry often claim there is no time for user research and
testing
 “We are experts and already know the users.”
 Design by HIPPO - highest paid person’s opinion
 “We already have personas” From four years ago.
Approach:
Find ways to fit user research and testing into the Agile cycle
 Data/observations carry more weight than opinions
 Create hypotheses and test them
 Leverage existing knowledge, past tests, analytics, surveys… look for
the gaps where more info is needed
 Share your results, make them visible and digestible

19. Tactics and
strategies
Build a playbook or toolbox of techniques for showing your value
and making the Agile process work for UX

20. Facilitate
Discovery
Workshops!
Brainstorming
OpportunityCanvas
SWOT
Product hypothesis
Setting KPIs / OKRs
Affinity diagramming
Collaborative sketching

21. Project kickoff -
UserJourney
Mapping
Workshop
Yay – post-its!

22. Story Mapping
Based on lightweight, adapted
personas
User Journey = backbone
Tasks > Stories
Decide what needs doing in
phase 1,2,3…
See Jeff Patton’s “User Story
Mapping” book and site for
more details.

23. Make yourself
a portable kit
for workshops
https://www.uistencils.com/

24. Speak up,
stand up!
One of my mentors told me that it’s important to put on the
consultant “hat.”
 Volunteer to own part of the agenda, especially for stakeholder
meetings
 Write a good agenda
 Practice in advance of a presentation if it makes you more confident
 If you have an idea, articulate it for the group and explain why it’s
based on user research, project goals
 Put a meeting on the calendar if you have a topic you want to
discuss or work to share
 Take time to review other people work and give feedback, ask
questions, write comments
 It’s a cliché, but FAKE ITTILLYOU MAKE IT!

25. Ninja moves
for theAgile
process
Own “Sprint Zero” – it’s a great time to set the tone for
UX at the beginning of the project.
Build tight relationships with the project manager and
business analysts.
Offer to help with content, QA, etc. Especially when it’s
crunch time.
Get to know how Agile tools work – whether they are
paper index cards or software tools like JIRA.

26. Ninja moves
for theAgile
process -
continued
Review progress on current stories, even after your tasks are
complete. Provide comments.
Work differently - try sitting side-by-side with designers, developers
and work collaboratively instead of polishing wireframes. (aka
extreme programming)
Ask to have signoff approval before a story is marked “DONE.” Talk
with the team about the “definition of done” and how it should
include UX criteria.
Sprint retrospective meetings – a good time to advocate for more
UX processes

27. More about my
journey
A quick overview of how I got here…

28. Twenty years
inUX and
counting…
8+ onAgile teams
Education
• Undergrad – English (after a first foray into Engineering)
• Grad school – Information and Library Studies
Career
• Information architecture consulting (Argus Associates)
• IT project delivery team (Compuware)
• Web agency (Enlighten)
• SAAS product development team (ProQuest)
• Customer service and marketing site (Blue Cross)
• VOC and Analytics consulting (after hours freelance)
Current status
• Job seeker

29. Conclusion &
questions
Chris Farnum
crfarnum@gmail.com
@crfarnum