Agile for the rest of us

© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Agile for the rest of usIA Summit, March 22, 2009

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Big Picture

Traditional(Waterfall)

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Big Picture

AgileTraditional(Waterfall)

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Big Picture

AgileTraditional(Waterfall)

Developers

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Big Picture

AgileTraditional(Waterfall)

Developers

Us?

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

I talk to *a lot* of IA’s

NYC IA Meetup, Founded 2003, 700+ Members

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

AgileTraditional(Waterfall)

Adoption Patterns

Developers

Us?UX

Doesn’t seem to

make sense for what we

do.

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

AgileTraditional(Waterfall)

Adoption Patterns

Developers

Us?UX

Interested, not sure how to

adopt.

Doesn’t seem to

make sense for what we

do.

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

AgileTraditional(Waterfall)

Adoption Patterns

Developers

Us? UXUX

Interested, not sure how to

adopt.

Doesn’t seem to

make sense for what we

do.

Trying it, but struggling.

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

AgileTraditional(Waterfall)

Adoption Patterns

Developers

Us? UX

Yup, we’re Agile.

UX

Interested, not sure how to

adopt.

Doesn’t seem to

make sense for what we

do.

Trying it, but struggling.

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

AgileTraditional(Waterfall)

Adoption Patterns

Developers

Us? UX

Yup, we’re Agile.

UX

Interested, not sure how to

adopt.

Doesn’t seem to

make sense for what we

do.

Trying it, but struggling.

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

What I’ll Be Talking About

o A UX Reading of the Manifestoo Agile via Waterfallo Re-Thinking Documentso The Smallest Biggest Stepo Pushing Backo Looking Forward

© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

A UX Reading of the ManifestoBeyond working sofware

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

The Agile Manifesto

www.agilemanifesto.org

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

The Agile Manifesto

www.agilemanifesto.org

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

The Agile Manifesto

www.agilemanifesto.org

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

The Agile Manifesto

www.agilemanifesto.org

A Value Framework

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

ScrumBacklogs

Standups

Extreme Programming

Crystal Methods

Story Cards

Sprints

Spikes

Feature-Driven Development

Lean Development

Burndown

Dynamic Systems Development

Adaptive Software Development

Refactoring

Customer

Agile Coach

Product Owner Velocity

Pair Programming

Scrum Master

Daily Standups

Test-Driven Development

Planning Poker

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

ScrumBacklogs

Standups

Extreme Programming

Crystal Methods

Story Cards

Sprints

Spikes

Feature-Driven Development

Lean Development

Burndown

Dynamic Systems Development

Adaptive Software Development

Refactoring

Customer

Agile Coach

Product Owner Velocity

Pair Programming

Scrum Master

Daily Standups

Test-Driven Development

Methodology Templates

Planning Poker

© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Agile via WaterfallConfronting Future Promises

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Waterfall

Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Waterfall

Production (Developer Perspective)

Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Waterfall

Design (Our Perspective) Production (Developer Perspective)

Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Waterfall

Design (Our Perspective)

Documents

Production (Developer Perspective)

Software

Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

GrandVision

Waterfall

Design (Our Perspective)

Documents

Production (Developer Perspective)

Software

Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

GrandVision

Initiate Research Design Build

Test Deploy

Design

Build

MuddlingHeroics

Research

Reality

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

GrandVision

Initiate Research Design Build

Test Deploy

Design

Build

MuddlingHeroics

Research

Dev: This is taking longer to build

than I estimated…

Reality

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

GrandVision

Initiate Research Design Build

Test Deploy

Design

Build

Biz: Our competitor just released a much better product….

MuddlingHeroics

Research

Dev: This is taking longer to build

than I estimated…

Reality

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

GrandVision

Initiate Research Design Build

Test Deploy

Design

Build

Biz: Our competitor just released a much better product….

MuddlingHeroics

Research

Dev: This is taking longer to build

than I estimated…

Dev: Saving changes is taking 15-20 minutes(!)

Reality

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

GrandVision

Initiate Research Design Build

Test Deploy

Design

Build

Biz: Our competitor just released a much better product….

MuddlingHeroics

Research

Dev: This is taking longer to build

than I estimated…

I can’t hold her together much longer Captain!

Dev: Saving changes is taking 15-20 minutes(!)

Reality

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Reality

A “waterfall” lifecycle, big up-front specifications, estimates, and speculative plans applicable to predictable manufacturing have been misapplied to software projects, a domain of inventive, high-change, high-novelty work.

– Craig Larman, Agile & Iterative Development: A Manager’s Guide

© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

The Agile Response

Reacting to

• Planning for status quo rather than real-world turbulence.

• Dividing the team into phases.

• Over-reliance on documents as communication conduits.

• Waiting too long to confront design with reality.

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

One Change that Changes Everything

Developers

We need to start building earlier…

Earliest Responsible Moment

Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Timebox Timebox(Micro-project 1)

Many Micro-Projects

Foundation:Core NeedsBig Picture Working Software

Becomes

Reflect,Adjust

Timebox (Micro-project 2)

Working Software

Reflect,

Adjust

Timebox (Micro-project n)

Working Software

Reflect,Adjust

Timebox (Iteration 1)

Working Software

Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Timebox Timebox(Micro-project 1)

Many Micro-Projects

Foundation:Core NeedsBig Picture Working Software

Becomes

Reflect,Adjust

Timebox (Micro-project 2)

Working Software

Reflect,

Adjust

Timebox (Micro-project n)

Working Software

Reflect,Adjust

Timebox (Iteration 1)

Working Software

Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy

GrandVision?

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

A Process Narrative

Phase Zero Foundation:Core NeedsBig Picture

Iteration 1

Working Software

Research

Design Build

Release, Reflect,Adjust

Iteration 2

Working Software

Research

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

A Process Narrative

Phase Zero Foundation:Core NeedsBig Picture

Iteration 1: Top Priority vs Early Win?

Working Software

Research

Design Build

Release, Reflect,Adjust

Iteration 2

Working Software

Research

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

A Process Narrative

Phase Zero Foundation:Core NeedsBig Picture

Iteration 1: Top Priority vs Early Win?

Working Software

Research

Design Build

Release, Reflect,Adjust

Iteration 2

Working Software

Research

Designing Ahead Researching Ahead

© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Re-Thinking DocumentsComprehensive vs Just Enough

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Asking a different questionComprehensiveWhat is everything developers need to know to build the whole application?

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Asking a different questionComprehensiveWhat is everything developers need to know to build the whole application?

Just EnoughWhat is the minimum developers need to know to build the next piece?

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Asking a different questionComprehensiveWhat is everything developers need to know to build the whole application?

Just EnoughWhat is the minimum developers need to know to build the next piece?

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Document Cost-Benefit

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Document Cost-Benefit

Yes, you can keep doing wireframes!but…

Design the delta.

For conversation.

As a means, not an end.

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Dissolving Us/Them

Us Them

Documents Software

Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy

“That leak is on their side of the

boat.”

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Dissolving Us/Them

Design is Production is Design

Working Software

Research

Design Build

Us Them

Documents Software

Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy

vs

“That leak is on their side of the

boat.”

© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

The Smallest Biggest StepMinimal change, maximum value.

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Get a Room

Sending an email vs Turning your head

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Beware AgileRitual andOrthodoxy

o Terminology fixation.o Just going through the

motions.o Intimidating to non-

technologists.

From Henrik Kniberg’s Blog at blog.crisp.se

One waterfallTwo waterfallThree waterfall…

Step Zero:

You

© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

PUSHING BACKWhat’s not to like?

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

The BigCorp Factor

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Deliverables model based on waterfall.

Big Deliverables a security blanket for execs.

One idea: shadow agile.

The BigCorp Factor

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Deliverables model based on waterfall.

Big Deliverables a security blanket for execs.

One idea: shadow agile.

The BigCorp Factor

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

We Do A Lot More Than Software

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Sometimes Manufacturing Lines Make Sense

© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Looking ForwardFollowing, Leading, Evolving

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Key Take-Aways

o Don’t Flip The Methodology Switch

o Iterate the transition o No Silver Bulleto Participate in evolving

Agile

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Methodology Templates

Lean Development

ScrumBacklogs

Standups

Extreme Programming

Crystal Methods

Story Cards

Sprints

Spikes

Feature-Driven Development

Burndown

Dynamic Systems Development

Adaptive Software Development

Refactoring

Customer

Agile Coach

Product Owner Velocity

Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

Methodology Templates

Lean Development

ScrumBacklogs

Standups

Extreme Programming

Crystal Methods

Story Cards

Sprints

Spikes

Feature-Driven Development

Burndown

Dynamic Systems Development

Adaptive Software Development

Refactoring

Customer

Agile Coach

Product Owner Velocity

IX?

© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

Thanks!

andersr@gmail.com

andersramsay.com

twitter: @andersr