This master's thesis summarizes the author Tatjana Pavlenko's research on applying agile methodologies like Scrum to software design and programming. Over 4 cycles from December 2011 to April 2012, Pavlenko worked with Company Sigma, a software development team of 8 members creating iOS apps, to design an effective Scrum approach for their distributed team. Initial obstacles included the team not being self-organized and the designer being left out of Scrum practices. Through improvements like online collaboration tools, prototypes, and special Scrum methods for the designer, the final results showed a more self-organized team with the designer more involved in Scrum. The conclusion is that not forcing teams to strictly use Scrum but adapting practices to

1. Tallinn University
Institute of Informatics
Applying Agile Methodologies to
Design and Programming
Master Thesis
Tatjana Pavlenko (author)
David Lamas (supervisor)
Tallinn
2012

2. “We get too soon old and too late smart”,
Pennsylvania Dutch proverb
?
“Everybody has an idea for an app”,
Shawn Welch, App developer

3. How to get there?
Transforming outdated Windows software to an App
?
Technical knowledge Management strategy

5. What is Scrum?
Iterative incremental software development methodology
Not a strict methodology
Team-based framework
Relies on self-organizing and cross-functional teams

6. Agile
Crystal
Scrum
Lean Kanban
Feature Driven Extreme
Development Programming (XP)

7. Agile = Scrum?

8. Research problem
How to design an
effective Scrum approach
for Company Sigma

9. Research strategy
1. Working environment
2. Obstacles
3. Scrum approach proposal
4. Implementation

10. Methodology
Design research

12. Company Sigma
8 team members
20 years in software development
Windows based Sales Force Automation tool
Plans 7 iOS Apps
Distributed team
Full-time, part-time, freelance
No experience in user interface design
Serious clients

14. Obstacles
1) Team is not self-organized
IDEAL REAL

15. Obstacles
2) Designer does not support Scrum

16. Obstacles
Distributed team
Unawareness
No common understanding
Wasting time during the meetings
Designer prefers traditional approach
Designer’s contributes are not regular
Designer needs documented information

17. Improvements
Online collaboration
Team motivating presentations
Prototypes
Plan in advance
Special Scrum methods for Designer
Mediator between Designer and the Team
Iterative information for Designer

18. Designing effective Scrum approach
The goal is to imagine
“something better than what exists”.
Design Research Through Practice (2011)

19. 4
cycles
December 2011 – April 2012
Lessons Learned

20. 1st cycle – a good start

22. 2nd cycle – challenges

23. Interview codes
Settings Acts Activities Meanings Participation Relationships
Retrieving
Visualization of
information;
interface; Freelancer;
Role in the Collecting grain by No need in full-time Designers are also
Responsible for There are no
project grain; designer; usability testers
usability; mockups;
Beat someone if
Front-end;
needed;
Should have job Need a person who
User stories were
experience; will push the whole
not clear to
Constant process of A-la demo version; project;
Attitude to Doing something by anybody;
changing everything Processes are all the Leader;
Scrum certain deadline; My task is to make a
simultaneously; same; It’s a common
good, convenient
Three ways of Project
and nice product;
managing design; Management;
Hierarchy and
Constant presence is
Searching for organization is Everyone is
Current No concrete plan; not required;
concrete broken; responsible for his
situation Good ideas; Good people, good
information; Weird mess is work;
company;
happening;
Group report; The whole work can Product Owner is
Someone distributes Plan program; be done in 2 someone from
Towards the tasks; Prepare for the months; developers;
Job experience;
ideal Designer plans with future;
Responsible people;
Software architect Senior developer
senior developer; Stick to planned and Junior should be
situation
Make back-end first; mockup; developer report to responsible for
I need information; Senior Developer; Junior

24. Tag Clouds

25. Interviews

26. 3rd cycle – wind of change

28. 4th cycle – effective

29. Results
Successful Partly successful Not successful
1 Scrum Master Task Board Pilot User Stories
Contact Designer
2 Sprint Burndown Chart Fixed Sprints
regularly
Fibonacci Numbers to
3 Improvised mockups More frequent meetings
evaluate tasks
Paper prototypes of More clear and simple
4 Kanbanery online tool
application User Stories
Kanbanery tool doubled Involve people into using Educative presentation
5
on the wall prototypes about Scrum
Adopt some methods of
6 Dropbox Scrum specially for
Designer
Preplanned topics for
7 Daily Standups
meetings

30. Results
INITIAL FINAL

31. Conclusions
Team is self-organized
Designer is left out of Scrum
• Involve as much team members as possible
• Keep tracking others and slack their resistance
• Team should not be forced to use Scrum
• Leave designer alone as long as he successfully does
the job

32. Designing effective Scrum approach
The goal is to imagine
“something better than what exists”.
Design Research Through Practice (2011)

33. Thank you for your attention!
Looking forward to hearing your questions