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William Hudson of Econsultancy discussess User centred design and Agile methods at the Valtech Agile Edge March 2010.How companies are seeing the value of incorporating user-centred design into Agile processes. Looking at challenges raised by the lightweight design approaches encouraged by Agile and how they are being addressed by companies like Microsoft.
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User-Centred Design in Agile Development
Addressing user experience2 March 2010
William HudsonPrincipal ConsultantSyntagm Ltd
The case for user-centred designUsability and customer satisfaction are not directly related, but better usability means:Less frustrationImproved user experienceFewer support callsLower development costsFewer legal concerns (Disability Discrimination Act)Bridging the mass-market chasm...
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The case for user-centred design
February 2010
Innovators Early Adopters
Early Majority
Late Majority
Laggards
The technology chasm
(Adapted from Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm)
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Key features of user-centred designDirect engagement with users – observation, research and evaluationInvestigation and understanding of contexts of use, for examplePoint of sale system for a pub versus a supermarketReturns system for a dusty, noisy warehouse rather than a clean and comfortable officeMain focus of UCD is suitability of solution for real users
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Key features of AgileSmall teamsClose quartersLow process overheadsFocus on team motivation and working code
There are some side-effects though...
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An Agile side-effect
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The Perfect User
Visual acuityof an eagle
Memory ofan elephant
Navigation skillsof a bat
Stamina ofa camel
Dexterity ofa monkey
Copyright © Syntagm Ltd – www.syntagm.co.uk
The Agile team
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Customer /Owner /
User Rep
Users?
The Agile-to-user relationshipTwo main problems:1) No one person can represent or fully understand the needs of users in isolationConsider this actual user quotation:“What do you want to talk about, what we really do or what we’re supposed to do?”
2) Developers find it hard to appreciate – and sometimes to understand – user-related issues such as usability
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Empathizing-Systemizing theory
Empathizers
Systemizers
Please select1 bag at a time
Technologists have strong systemizing but reduced empathizing skills
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RTFMFebruary 2010| 14
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Empathetic design
Promoting empathyTo produce usable systems reliably, Agile teams need to understand (and empathize with) usersSite visitsPersonasResearch-based user storiesVideos of user research and usability tests
These activities also help address compliance with human-centred design standards (ISO 13407, for example)
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ISO standard for human-centred design
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Understand and specify context of use
Specify the user and organizational requirements
Produce design solutions
Evaluate designs against requirements
Identify need for human-centred
design
System satisfies specified
requirements
(ISO 13407)
Site visits
Usabilitytests
Personas
Userstories
The Agile team
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UCDPractitioner
Users
Personas are a key focal pointPeople are much more positive towards individuals than groupsPersonas are fictitious (but credible) individuals who represent the main users of a solutionMust be developed and agreed by the team – you cannot promote empathy by forcing solutions on key playersPersonas form the basis of all discussions about features and user stories
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Personas
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Jane Soames is a 28-year-old London graphics designer who has moved into special effects. Her experience with graphics packages has helped her alot with the 2-D modeling but she still struggles a bit with 3-D.Her current job role has her moving between 2-D and 3-D work, so having a lot of similarities between the two kinds of software makes her life a lot simpler.…
Persona-weighted feature matrix
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(John Pruitt and Tamara Adlin –The Persona Lifecycle)
Changing the role of UCD practitioners
VPresent (involved)AdvisorySome user researchUsability testingTeam not engaged in UCD
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Changing the role of UCD practitioners
SFuture (committed)Engage team with usersUser research (with team observers)Usability testing (team observers or video raves)Responsible for user stories, sketches and prototypes
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Personas and beyond
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