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UX + Agile
Should you go for it?
Sunday, 1 September 13

Blaise Galinier
Lead UX designer at AllofUs
@blasj

Disclaimer:
I am not an agile guru.

? Iterative process, originally for development
? Work in short “sprints” (e.g. 2 weeks), focusing on a small scope.
? Build the product incrementally
? After each sprint, use what you’ve learnt to reevaluate where you’re
heading
? Informal collaboration (sketching, pair design) instead of heavy
documentation (massive wireframes doc)
? Sounds great!...
Agile in a nutshell

? You don’t know what you’ll get in the end. It might not be
what you set off to build originally.
? Your precious designs are not set in stone. They could get
revisited at a later sprint, maybe discarded completely.
? You don’t know when you’ll finish. It will take however long
it needs.
The scary stuff

You’re starting a new project.
You’ve been thinking about
“going agile” but...
is this the right time?

? Devs are usually comfortable with agile
? Graphic designers / project managers, no so much!
? If they are not, you will have to lead. Do you have the
authority for it?
Has the team done agile
before?

? It is better if the whole team (UX + graphic design + dev)
are all on the same site, as agile requires collaboration.
? Devs separate from the rest of the team (e.g. UX +
graphic design in agency + in-house dev or offshore dev):
not so good.
? Don’t go agile if you can’t spend at least 1 or 2 days with
the devs every week.
Is the team in the same
building?

? Every sprint, there are decisions to be made. The sooner
they are made, the better.
? Less available stakeholder >> you produce a lot of
documentation before you get a chance to get it approved
? Documentation sitting idle becomes outdated: avoid it!
? Multiple stakeholders = not good for agile
Is the stakeholder very
involved?

? In agile, you can’t get both! (it’s like quantum physics)
? If the deadline is fixed, you can’t tell what you’ll get built.
? If the scope is fixed, you can’t tell when you’ll achieve it.
? Agile is about embracing uncertainty...
How flexible is the scope?
How flexible is the deadline?

? This is hard to gauge at first.
? Startups are more open to uncertainty than big corporate
clients.
? It helps if you know the stakeholder...
Is the stakeholder OK with
uncertainty?

? Trust is what makes the uncertainty acceptable.
? Because in agile the stakeholder doesn’t have a clear
criteria to tell if you’ve done a good job or not.
? Use the early stages of the project to establish that trust.
Does the stakeholder TRUST
you?

Fixed cost or ongoing
retainer?
? Fixed cost ≈ fixed project duration ≈ hard deadline
? To make fixed cost work, you need a flexible scope
? Retainers are very good for agile

In summary
+Everyone on site
+Flexible scope
+Flexible deadline
+Hand-on stakeholder
+Trusting environment
+Experienced team
+Retainer
-Scattered team
-Aversion to risk / uncertainty
-Fixed cost
-Unmovable deadline
-Multiple stakeholders

A few more things
? Accept the fact that you don’t know enough. It’s about learning as
quick as possible. Initial research doesn’t make you invincible.
? Fact: thing don’t go according to plan. Waterfall ignores this.
Agile embraces it.
? Agile doesn’t mean you have to do loads of user testing (although
you’re in a great position to do it).
? The early phase of a project (research/planning/strategy/
envisioning...) is not agile!

? Alan Cooper on Agile: http://www.cooper.com/journal/
agile2008/
? http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2013/08/why-
agile-is-so-hard.php
Some light reading

Thank you!

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UX + Agile: Should I go for it?

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