Lean UX is a framework that focuses on optimizing product development processes with user-centered design principles in agile software development. It emphasizes early customer involvement to continuously validate designs, solving real user problems rather than features, and collaborative cross-functional teams. The five key principles are: 1) early customer validation, 2) solving user problems, 3) cross-functional teams, 4) flexible tools, and 5) experimentation through quick design iterations. Benefits include empowered teams, momentum through engagement, and quality through user validation, while challenges include breaking silos and client expectations around documentation.

1. Lean UX
… and why it is important
Tobias Holm Jensen
UX Designer
Adapt Mobile

2. Agenda
Why do I talk about this?
What is Lean UX?
The 5 principles
Benefits
Challenges
How to do it

3. Why do I talk about this?
Independent research project at the IT University of Copenhagen in the fall 2016
2 months long case study of a collaboration between agency and client
25 page report and a coming oral exam
I really like the idea behind Lean UX!

4. What is it?
The term was coined in 2013 by the designers Jeff Gothelf and Josh
Seiden
It is a framework of a set of principles on how development processes
can be optimized with focus on user-centered design (and UX) in Agile
software development cycles
Break away from the more traditional, waterfall-inspired process
with heavy documentation and specification, as well as silo-based
work
Has its foundations in agile software development, design thinking
and lean startup

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The foundations
Agile
Design thinkingLean startup
- People over processes
- Working software over documentation
- Client collaboration over contracts
- Change over rigid planning
- Use design as business approach
- Center around the users
- Prototyping and testing is crucial
- Empathy is key
“Get out of the building!”
Experimentation (test hypotheses)
Minimum viable products (MVP)
Customer feedback is crucial

6. The 5 principles
1. Early customer involvement and validation
2. Solving real user problems
3. Collaborative cross-functional teams
4. Flexibly applying appropriate tools
5. Experimentation through nimble design.
From a set of 15 by Gothelf & Seiden
1. Cross-Functional Teams
2. Small, Dedicated, Colocated
3. Progress = Outcomes, Not Output
4. Problem-Focused Teams
5. Removing Waste
6. Small Batch Size
7. Continuous Discovery
8. GOOB: The New User-Centricity
9. Shared Understanding
10. Anti-Pattern: Rockstars, Gurus, and Ninjas
11. Externalizing Your Work
12. Making over Analysis
13. Learning over Growth
14. Permission to Fail
15. Getting Out of the Deliverables Business

7. The 5 principles
1. Early customer involvement and validation
- The earlier and the faster you involve and validate with the real users, the
better the product gets in the end.
- This also ensures continuous discovery and learning throughout the
process.
2. Solving real user problems
- Focus on solving user problems, not cool features to the end-product.
- Progress = Outcomes, not Output
- Getting out the deliverables business
- “Big Design Up Front”

8. The 5 principles
3. Collaborative cross-functional teams
- Cross-functional teamwork, and not “hero designers”
- Shared understanding between all parts
4. Flexibly applying appropriate tools
- Minimize waste in the design and development process.
- Only apply just the appropriate tools for the specific phase of the process.
5. Experimentation through nimble design
- Experiments and research should be done with nimble designs and not
heavy wireframes or lengthy specifications. (“Small batch size” and MVP’s)
- Making over debating
- It is okay to fail in an experiment!

9. Benefits
Empowerment & cross-functional teamwork
Momentum when everyone’s engaged
Quality based on user validation
Use your UX skills all the way not just in the beginning

10. Challenges
Clients and agencies are still in the deliverables business and documentation is needed
Strong bond of trust is needed when focus is not on the product
Silos are hard to break and remain in both agency and organization

11. How to do it?
Remember it is a mindset! not a checklist!
Define your toolbox and when to use the tools
Involve users (often!) at every stage of the process
Cross-collaborate yes, let developers do UX

12. Dave Landis, 2016

13. Example
Design studio
● Everybody draws, presents and critiques
● Refine ideas through 3 rounds
● Generate tons of raw ideas
● Huge headstart for UX
● Early team-wide alignment
● Team-wide feeling of ownership

14. Any thoughts?
Let’s discuss!