Combining User Centered Interaction Design with Agile Software Development – Two Case Studies

Combining user centered interaction design with agile software development – Two case studies Two movements within software development; user centered interaction design and agile software development, are trying to do the same. To create better software than when using traditional project management methods or not working systematically to achieve good usability. Their approaches are different from each other and there are perceived problems with combining the two. However, with the increased attention given to the user experience aspects of software and the growing popularity of the agile project management methods, there is a need to bring the movements (and the practitioners) closer together. This master thesis aims to create methods allowing for better collaboration between interaction designers, working with user centered methods, and agile development teams. Specifically; Being a design consultancy, Ergonomidesign needs methods for contributing to in-house or external development teams working in an agile manner. Two cases studies are presented where a set of practices found in the literature are evaluated. Some of the practices addresses the organisation of the team, some the project structure and some the design deliverables and documentation. The projects presented in the case studies ran with mixed success and some of the evaluated practices worked better than others. Some practices were adapted to better suit the circumstances and some were abandoned altogether. E.g. a successful adaptation of the task board was made with the introduction of design specific columns. Regardless of the successes of the evaluated practices and projects, some key learnings are presented. Examples include the importance of transparency between team members of different skill sets and the need for a remotely accessible and usable task board solution (e.g. an online spreadsheet) Cross disciplinary work is difficult but rewarding and methods that acknowledge multiple skill-sets help. Different projects need different methods but the thesis concludes with an attempt to outline a suggested ideal workflow.