This document discusses challenges with integrating user experience (UX) work into agile software development processes and proposes solutions. It describes how UX deliverables like research and design work do not always fit neatly into short agile sprints. It then recommends integrating UX by tracking work in a UX Innovation (UXI) matrix, emphasizing UX priorities through information radiators, and involving users early and often to define requirements.

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4. Classic Software Design Problems
• Clients or users are not sure what they want
• They have difficulty stating all they want and know
• Many details of what they want will only be revealed
during development
• The details are overwhelmingly complex for people
• As they see the product develop, people change their
minds
• External forces lead to changes or enhancements in
requests
From Clements & Parnas, 1986
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5. Agile Software Development Methods
• Emphasize iterative and incremental development
• Use self-organizing, co-located, cross-functional teams
that collaborate to create the solution
• Promote adaptive planning, evolutionary development
and delivery of software
• Solve for unforeseen changes in requirements throughout
the software development cycle
• Were formalized in the late 90’s based into methods like
XP, Scrum, Crystal, and Evo
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6. Scrum Overview
Where does UX fit in?
Image from www.mountaingoatsoftware.com
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7. UX & Agile Meet
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dearbarbz365/2196169411/in/photostream/
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8. Agile & UX Integration Challenges
• Working code is not enough to create a good UX
• UX produces deliverables of value other than code (ignored by Agile)
• UX deliverables are used in many parts of the company
• UX changes can impact lots of teams, creating chaos
• UX deliverables often get used by many teams outside of developers
• UX work may require longer term plans or sequencing
• User studies may need to be done a sprint ahead or behind
• User research may take longer than a sprint to complete end to end
• UX staffing often breaks “self contained team” rule
• Due to the variety of specialized skills it may be necessary to matrix
• Some skills needed infrequently, but experience is key to success
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9. Compatibility of Agile and UX Values
Individuals and
over Process and tools
interactions
Comprehensive
Working software
over
documentation
Customer
over Contract negotiation
collaboration
Responding to change
over Following a plan
Agile info based on www.agilemanifesto.org & www.mountaingoatsoftware.com
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10. User Experience—A Brief Definition
It starts by something being useful…
Functionally, people must
be able to use it…
The way it looks must
be pleasing…
This extends to designing
an overall user experience
That includes marketing,
sales and support design
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11. Four Categories of UX Problems
• Marketing • Get user to • Get user to • Get user to
oriented, get engage with integrate offering recommend to a
user to know product for initial into their lives friend
offering exists 1st use and use long
term
These apply to any type of
product or service
AND
includes more than
product design activities
Categories based on Dave McClure’s AARRR Startup Metrics for Pirates see: http://
500hats.typepad.com/500blogs/2007/06/internet-market.html
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12. UX Means Integrated Research & Design
Research
User
Experience
Design
SM
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13. Six Key UX Activities for Software
SM
Activities listed based on Norman: The Invisible computer, 1998
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14. UX Organizational Integration Points
Market Research
Subject Matter Experts Project Planning
Product
Technical Writing Management
Market
Research
Brand
Strategy
Engineering
Advertising
Sales
Technical Support
Quality
Assurance
SM
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15. Managing UCD within agile projects. Detweiler, 2007
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16. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development
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17. Changes Via Values and Visibility
• New Values: UX Matters, Involve Users
• Involve users early and often
• Waiting until the end is the waterfall way
• The definition of “done” can only be determined by users
• More Visibility: Tracking via UXI Matrix
• Track UX deliverables—who’s doing what?
• Have we validated our stories with users?
• Did the iteration feedback include user feedback?
• Can they use it? Do they like it? Would they recommend it?
• Is the UX getting better? What are we doing about it?
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18. Persona Example
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19. Story Map Example
www.agileproductdesign.com/writing/how_you_slice_it.pdf
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21. What Does The UXI Matrix Solve?
• Do you have a long list of user stories and have trouble organizing
and prioritizing them to get the “big picture”?
• Want a better way to track dependencies between stories?
• Do you find it tedious to write “As a user” over and over?
• Do you find that some stories impact more than a single user type
and need a way to track that?
• Want to figure out how to measure the UX impact of backlog items?
• Want to track UX work like wireframes, mockups, or user testing
more effectively?
• Do you need to help your team understand the UX priorities and the
status of work in progress?
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22. Information Radiators
• A publicly posted display that shows people walking by what is going on
• Information radiators are best when they are big, very easy to see (e.g. not
online, generally)
• Change often enough to be worth revisiting.
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23. UXI Matrix Radiating…..
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25. Common Questions & Answers
• Isn’t this just a product backlog?
• Sort of, but with additional information
• Start with your backlog and just build off of it
• How do I collect UX metrics?
• See www.measuringux.com
• Also consider just tracking what UX things you create
• What “design” metrics do you capture
• Start with do you have a design for the story
• Consider tracking intermediate work like wireframes
• Another good one is “do we have assets” (e.g., icons)
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26. More Questions & Answers
• How does this relate to Patton’s Story Map stuff?
• His technique is a great way to start
• The UXI Matrix includes UX tracking and metrics
• Can I use something else other than Excel?
• Sure, but I suggest you start simple
• Why not use sticky notes?
• Teams I work with are distributed and like electronic stuff
• The UXI Matrix has calculations on it, and hyperlinks
• I can print it out or share it on a server
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27. UX & Agile Meet
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dearbarbz365/2196169411/in/photostream/
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