1. How UX Research Fits Into An
Agile Development Process
Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface | @kylesoucy
Marriott International Agile Day December 2013

2. Why is
Agile + UX
so hard?

3. “
It doesn’t offer
guidance on what to
build, only how.
”
- Erika Hall

4. Agile Manifesto Principles
1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’
competitive advantage.
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter
timescale.
4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get
the job done.
6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face
conversation.
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.
8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a
constant pace indefinitely.
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
10. Simplicity–the art of maximizing the amount of work not done–is essential.
11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior
accordingly.

5. Actual Use of Requested Features
Always
7%
Seldom or never
used 64%
Often
13%
Always or often
used 20%
Never
45%
Sometimes
16%
Seldom
19%
Always
Often
Sometimes
Seldom
Never
Source: The Standish Group “Charting the Seas of Information Technology”

6. Is UX research even
Needed?

7. “ [Without UX
research], you’re just
building the wrong
product faster.
”
- Aviva Rosenstein

8. What about A/B Testing?
Doesn’t explain why
a design is better
You still don’t know if
an untested version
would be better
It takes more time and
effort and most don’t
provide clear data

9. Does UX research
fit?

10. YES!

11. When?
How?
Where?

12. Lets us begin our
Journey...

14. Benefits

15. Collaboration

16. Quicker UX Implementation

17. world,
“ In an agilewrong time
there’s no
for conducting UX
research.
”
- Frank Guo

18. Waterfall
Analysis
Coding
Design
Testing
Agile
Analysis
Coding
Design
Testing
Analysis
Coding
Design
Testing
Analysis
Coding
Design
Testing

19. When?
How?
Where?

20. Three Options:

21. #1
Spike

22. Source: http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2012/11/06/design-spikes-fit-big-picture-ux-agile-development/

23. #1
Spike

24. 2
Three Options:
Parallel Sprints
&
Staggered Sprints

25. #1
Parallel Sprints

26. Dev:
Sprint 1
Sprint 2
Sprint 3
Release
UX:
Sprint 1
Sprint 2
Sprint 3

28. Usability Test
Moderator Guide and Script

29. Usability Testing
Report

31. Test less participants
& Focus on top priority

32. Always be
recruiting

33. Get everyone involved in a
Design Studio

34. Sketch
Present
Critique

35. RITE

36. Rapid
I terative
T esting
E valuation

37. RITE Process
Test 1
person
Change
design

38. How do you make
design decisions
based on only
testing 1 person?

39. Modified RITE Process
Test 3
people
Change
design

40. Key to Success…
Attendance of product
decision makers during testing!

41. #2
Staggered Sprints

42. Tip: Choose a feature to develop first that
has a lengthy dev sprint.
Source: http://www.upassoc.org/upa_publications/jus/2007may/agile-ucd.pdf

43. What about
“Sprint Zero”?

45. Big design
Up Front

46. Conduct
Just Enough
research

47. No matter which option,
Be Part Of The Scrum Team

48. Release & Sprint Planning

49. Sprint Review & Retrospective

50. Recap:
Options:
#1 Parallel Sprints
#2 Staggered Sprints
}
RITE
Design Studio
Sprint Zero = Just Enough
research
No matter which option,
Be A Part Of The Scrum Team

51. Embrace the method;
Be Agile Yourself

52. Learn more...
-
Article: Adapting Usability Investigations for Agile User-Centered Design
by Desiree Sy - http://www.upassoc.org/upa_publications/jus/2007may/agile-ucd.html
-
Article: Twelve emerging best practices for adding UX work to Agile
development by Jeff Patton - http://www.agileproductdesign.com/blog/emerging_best_agile_ux_practice.html
-
Article: Getting Software RITE by Jeff Patton - http://agileproductdesign.com/writing/ieee/
-
Article: Cost Effective Approaches to Iteration in Agile UX by Jared Spool -
-
Article: Create Great UX in an Agile World by
Conducting Lean UX Research - http://uxmag.com/articles/create-
patton_getting_software_rite.pdf
http://www.uie.com/articles/cost_effective_approaches_agile/
great-ux-in-an-agile-world-by-conducting-lean-ux-research
-
Blog post: UX Meets Agile: Design Studio
Methodology by Michael Dubakov - http://
www.targetprocess.com/blog/2011/05/ux-meets-agile-design-studio-methodology.html
-
Book: Lean UX By Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden
Book: Just Enough Research by Erika Hall

53. Thank you.
www.usableinterface.com
@kylesoucy
/usableinterface