maximizing the impact of ux in an agile environment: mixing agile and lean ux

Maximizing the Impact of UX in an Agile Environment: Mixing Agile and Lean UXJohn Whalen, Ph.D. Principal, Strategy & User Experience Brilliant Experience

Research

Stakeholder Interviews Field Research Competitor Reviews Expert Reviews

Strategy and Ideation

Strategy Workshop Design Studio Rapid Prototyping Iterative Refinement

UX and Design

IA & Flow Interaction Design Concept Realization Visual Design & Branding

Agenda‣ Part 1: The Rise of Agile

‣ Part 2: Mixing Agile & Lean UX

‣ Part 3: Lessons Learned on Adopting Lean UX & Agile

Part 1: The Rise of Agile

Problem: !- clients have limited UX/design capabilities - need to move faster, (not slower) while introducing UX

How do cross the chasm and do more with less?

User InsightsGreat Experience,

Successful Product

InsertMagical Process

Here

Not recommended

Hard to find

Try this

To help you understand what “this” is, let’s play: ‘Name that Methodology’

1 2 3 4

Empathize with the audience you are designing for

Brainstorm possible designs

Build a representation of one or more of your ideas

PrototypeIdeateResearch

Test your ideas for feedback

Test

1 2 3 4

Empathize with the audience you are designing for

Brainstorm possible designs

Build a representation of one or more of your ideas

PrototypeIdeateResearch

Test your ideas for feedback

Test

Design

Thinking

Design Thinking

Build

1

Measure

2

Learn

3

Build

1

Measure

2

Learn

3

Lean Startup

Lean Startup

1

23

User Stories

Design & Develop

Feedback

1

23

User Stories

Design & Develop

Feedback

Agile

Agile

Foundations

Customer Development‣ Steve Blank introduced the notion of

“Customer Development”

‣ He wants you to GOOB!!!

We’ll

introduce

influential

people

Lean Startup‣ Eric Reis saw the value in lean thinking + extreme programming

Eric Reis

Lean Startup

What about Lean UX?

Lean UX…

Two key points

1. Must balance business & user needs

2. Iteration improves the product

Lean UX…

Jeff Gothelf, NEO‣ Co-authored Lean series

book on Lean UX

Will Evans, TLC Labs‣ Good source for relation between

Kanban, Cynefin, Design Thinking,Lean UX and cognitive science.

‣ Sure to throw in a quote from Sartre, Kierkegaard or Wittgenstein

Bill Scott, PayPal

‣ Developer by trade, but strong proponentfor UX/Dev partnership and dev flexibilityto accommodate user needs

Andrew Crow, GE

‣ Good resource for how to do Lean UXwith standards at scale (like all of GE)

Part 2: Mixing Agile & Lean UX

Do a Google Search for Agile UX and you get…

Working UX into an Agile flow

Working UX into an Agile flow: 2

Working UX into an Agile flow: 3

Working UX into an Agile flow: 4???

What have we done with our clients?

Client 1

Client 1: Major Tech Company‣ Revenue: $11.5 billion

‣ Employee Count: 70,000+

!

‣ Needed to blend UX (long term research) with Agile sprints (yikes!)

Client 1: Major Tech Company

Sprint 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2Dev

UXSprint 1 Iteration Sprint 2 Iteration Sprint 3 Iteration

Time

Sprint 1 Support Sprint 2 Support

Client 1: Major Tech Company

Successes:

‣ Much better communication with developers.

‣ More influence in product design.

!

Difficulty

‣ Still cultural challenge (UX needs 6 months of research to produce wireframe).

‣ Some PMs / Dev still want all screens in advance + “spec”.

‣ Challenged to keep up when one UXer has to do both just-in-time work and work for future sprints simultaneously.

Number of deaths resulting from lack of spec document

0

Client 2

Client 2: NASDAQ/NYSE Watchdog‣ Review 6 Billion trades daily

‣ Employee Count: 3,400 employees

!

‣ Two roles:

- Anthropological work, help build user stories.

- Work on current sprint on immediate needs of developers.

Client 2: NASDAQ/NYSE Watchdog

Sprint 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2Dev

UX

Time

Sprint 1 Support Sprint 2 SupportUX Research

Client 2: NASDAQ/NYSE Watchdog

Successes:

‣ UX deeply integrated into process because of senior management support.

‣ Doing small tests with users for sprints.

!

Difficulties:

‣ Heavily focused on just-in-time work.

‣ Difficult to get enough “design thinking” done during a sprint.

Client 3

Client 3: Major US Government Agency‣ Founded 1862 during the Civil War by President Lincoln

‣ Works with 144 million Americans

!

‣ Role:

- Developing prototype of new tools for individuals using an iterative, Agile UX approach.

- Assisting Agile development of new systems for every American.

Client 3: Major US Government Agency

Sprint 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2

Dev

UX

Time

Sprint 3

Sprint 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2

Sprint 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2

Sprint 4 Sprint 5 Sprint 6 Sprint 7

UX

Client 3: Major US Government Agency

Successes:

‣ Doing small tests with users within sprints.

‣ Well ahead of developers, but including developers as we go along.

‣ Prototype + Style Guide is the product definition.

!

Difficulties:

‣ Development somewhat disjointed from UX, though getting better.

‣ Crazy pace when working on two different sprints simultaneously.

Part 3: Lessons Learned on Adopting Lean UX & Agile

Agile UX Secret 1: Set the stage for UX’s role with

Strategy Session / Design Studio.

CEO: I know you had an agenda, but let’s just sketch our ideas anyway...

Strategy Session / Design Studio

Get internal focus on what matters.

Prioritize your audiences, define them and scenarios.

Brainstorm ways to satisfy 1 & 2.

IdeationAudience NeedsBusiness Needs

Get stakeholders on board with conceptual direction.

Sketching

1 2 3 4

Agile UX Secret 2: UXers need to be prepared to get ahead of developers

AND stay with them.

Client 1: Major Tech Company

Sprint 1 Sprint 2Dev

UXSprint 1 Iteration Sprint 2 Iteration

Time

Sprint 1 Support Sprint 2 Support

Agile UX Secret 3: You need to make wireframes

“the spec”

Number of deaths resulting from lack of spec document

0

You#don’t#need#“The#Spec”#to#keep#controlYou#are#in#the#problemAsolving#business,#and#you#don’t#solve#problems#with#design#documentation.

h"p://www.arcelormi"al.com/distribuAonsoluAons/repo/angelique/Corporate_picture_Document_Control_MR_RF.JPGSource:?ArAcle?from?Jeff?Gothelf,?Mar?07,?2011,?Lean?UX:?GeXng?Out?Of?The?Deliverables?Business

h"p://notjustalive.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/lazy:cat5.jpg

It’s#NOT#lazy#UXYou#still#gonna#work#hard!!!

Source:?ArAcle?from?Jeff?Gothelf,?Mar?07,?2011,?Lean?UX:?GeXng?Out?Of?The?Deliverables?Business

Prototype#communicates#everythingThe#fastest#way#between#you#and#your#customers

h"p://xunyangixd.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/just:the:ux:process:large.jpgSource:?ArAcle?from?Jeff?Gothelf,?Mar?07,?2011,?Lean?UX:?GeXng?Out?Of?The?Deliverables?Business

Agile UX Secret 4: Involve Developers in UX

Experience Map

Usability Test with a Developer!PRESS GANEY Welcome Lidia | My Account | Customize

Clinical Performer

detail

Volume By Service Line

detail detail detail

detail

detail

Southwest

ORTHOPEDICS

PediatricsEmergency

Surgery

Cardiology

Neurology

Oncology

Hospital Acquired Infection

916%

Physical Restraint Accidental OverdosagesAdverse Blood Reactions

24%

1 2 450% 12%

Complications

24%

2.7%

Mortality

Core MeasuresReadmissions

16%24%

85%24%

1.2%24%

detail

detail

RevenuePerformanceView:Date Range: 1m 3m 1yr YTD Custom Division/Service Linequick Links:

Performance > System Wide

Agile UX Secret 5: Need to conduct quick,

focused research

Rarely time for full affinity diagraming

Persona - What we used to do.

No detailed persona exercise. This is LeanUX!

Persona - reality

Let’s Review

Agile + Lean UX Secrets !1. Set the stage with Strategy Session / Design Studio 2. UXers need to get ahead of developers AND stay with them 3. Make wireframes “the spec” 4. Conduct quick, focused research

Is he done?

Research

Stakeholder Interviews Field Research Competitor Reviews Expert Reviews

Strategy and Ideation

Strategy Workshop Design Studio Rapid Prototyping Iterative Refinement

UX and Design

IA & Flow Interaction Design Concept Realization Visual Design & Branding

Thank you! @brlexp | brilliantexperience.com