Towards a Framework for Integrating Agile Development and User-Centred Design

Abstract

Abstract. Due to a number of similarities between user-centred design (UCD) and agile development, coupled with an appreciation that developers are rarely usability experts, it seems attractive to integrate these two approaches. However, although agile methods share some of the same aims as UCD, there are also distinct differences. These differences have made the use of these methods on development projects problematic. This paper reports a field study designed to investigate the use of agile methods alongside UCD in one particular organization. The aim of the study was to develop a framework for use by project teams wishing to integrate UCD practices with agile development. The study, its findings and five principles for integrating UCD and agile development arising from this work are discussed.

Participatory Design Activities and Agile Software Development

“…We can to some degree empirically confirm Chamberlain et al's (2006) conceptual work that agile development and user-centered design are compatible; user participation and agile development go well together. But user participation in our case was an integral part of the chosen methodology and thus no special attempt to integrate the two approaches, as Chamberlain et al demand it, was necessary.…”

“…But user participation in our case was an integral part of the chosen methodology and thus no special attempt to integrate the two approaches, as Chamberlain et al demand it, was necessary. There were not two approaches, nor was there a distinction between designers and developers, which others (Chamberlain et al 2006;Sharp 2003, 2005) have found in practice.…”

“…Their descriptive account, based on a grounded theory inspired research method, surfaces a number of important themes such as upfront interaction design, continuous designer involvement, designer-developer interaction, and the valued role of interaction designers, but the work does not study user involvement at all. Chamberlain et al (2006) set out to develop a framework for integrating agile development and user-centered design. Analyzing the similarities and differences between the two approaches, they conclude that these are compatible.…”

Go with the Flow: Accelerated digital design in the age of Post-agility

“…This is mitigated through 'visioning' (Sy, 2007, Fox, 2008, da Silva et al, 2013, Schwartz, 2014 or 'sprint 0' (Patton, 2008). These activities are usually followed by 'Little Design Up Front' (Chamberlain et al, 2006) where designers originate enough assets to start development.…”

“…Kent Beck and Alan Cooper (Nelson, 2002 cited by Sharp et al, 2006) as well as Bruce Archer (1999) expressed the synergetic potential of the two approaches with great foresight; right back to: 'Agile Competitors and Virtual Organisations' (Golman et al, cited by Archer, 1999) where the term first appeared in modern usage.…”