Adopting Agile in the User Experience Industry By: Jenna Erickson, Codal ________________________________________________________________________________________
Agile has been used for development lifecycles more and more over the years. In the current software development industry, Agile is a trend that is not going to disappear anytime soon. If you are unfamiliar with what Agile is, here is a graph to outline the basics of how Agile works:
In 2008, approximately 20% of development projects used the Agile methodology. In 2010, that number increased to 35%. By 2013, that number elevated to 74%, which means that majority of software developers has integrated Agile into their processes. So, user experience designers, it’s time to adopt Agile, whether you like it or not! But don’t worry, Agile adopters generally think that this method promotes transparency among teams and clients, and that issues and new features are identified and delivered quicker and more efficiently. Here are some tips to managing and maintaining an Agile UX team:
Forward-Thinking User Experience designers must always be thinking forward in an Agile environment. Before a sprint starts, they must be proactive and plan ahead. A UXD should be consistently contributing ideas to the rest of the team, whether it is on research, wireframing, or content planning. Collaboration is one of the most important aspects of development.
Keep Your Team Consistent It’s true, every team works differently (especially in Agile). If you have someone on the team that is new to Agile, things may get shaken up a bit. If you change the team for every project, you will disrupt the team’s system; their knowledge, expectations and process will have to be re-established among themselves Consistency is key. Teams that stick together tend to perform better in the long-run.
Scrum Master
If you want to do Agile right, a Scrum Master is needed. Having a dedicated Scrum Master on the project will help make sure that the process goes smoothly throughout the entire project lifecycle. It is the Scrum Master’s responsibility to make sure the project succeeds using this method, and to ensure that everyone is following the correct process into their work. They should know everything and anything that there is to know about the project; product backlog, sprints, requirements, release plan, team members, etc.
Conclusion As time goes on, Agile Scrum Methodology will continue to gain momentum in the industry, so it is important to for all UX professionals to understand and adapt to this process. Adopting Agile UX means that you have to be a thoughtful designer, you need to know the user’s (and know them well), and you must always be testing your logic. About The Author: This article is written by Codal’s writer. Codal is a full-stack UX design and application development agency with a focus on blending an agile and innovation process with the latest emerging technologies.