Revolutionizing development strategies

As web technology and practices mature, and as worldwide markets adopt devices of all sizes and capabilities, it's becoming clear that we should give more consideration to technology- and device-agnostic processes. We will discuss strategies for this approach, as well as some of the benefits and potential obstacles.

Presented by Tara Bazler and Chris Basham for the Indiana University Statewide IT Conference on October 30, 2013.
http://statewideit.iu.edu/2013/

Transcript

1. Revolutionizing development strategies Crafting next-generation web software ! Tara Bazler & Chris Basham
2. Indiana University has long been a leader in providing faculty, students, and staff with the most up-to-date technology support for teaching, learning, research, and administration. http://www.iub.edu/faculty/technology.shtml
3. Though purchased and homegrown systems often represent the state of the art or best choice at the time of their selection, users’ expectations continue to change as they desire newer technologies or more integration. It is difficult to back into improved user interfaces and integration with other systems after the fact. —Empowering People Indiana University’s Strategic Plan for Information Technology 2009
4. Current
   work process
5. Developers,
   the alpha & the omega
6. Over-the-fence deliverables
7. Arbitrary walls of responsibility UX Designers Backend Developers
8. In order to effectively design
   for today and tomorrow’s Web,
   we must replace outdated design artifacts with real collaboration and communication.
   ! For a lot of people, this is scary… —Brad Frost http://bradfrostweb.com/blog/post/development-is-design/
9. Proposed
   work process
10. Expectations Assumptions Common ground
11. UI User System UX Business Technology Users UX verses UI
12. Design is more than decoration. Development is more than plumbing. —Cameron Koczon paraphrased from http://alistapart.com/article/an-important-time-for-design
13. Great developers are “designers” in their own domain. Design can even be our common thread, uniting two groups with a shared love of detail, craft, and building things. —Cameron Koczon http://alistapart.com/article/an-important-time-for-design
14. Design Process Research Ideate Insight Decide
15. Design is
    insightful
    intentionality
16. We design together
    to solve
    human problems
17. Distributed responsibility UX Designers UX/UI Developers Backend Developers
18. Front-end developers often exist in a weird purgatory, somewhere between the design world and the ultra-geek programming world. We serve as translators between these two worlds, and I feel it’s our responsibility to bridge this chasm between design and development. —Brad Frost http://bradfrostweb.com/blog/post/development-is-design/
19. Kuali Student is
    Agile
20. Current app architecture Data Backend UI Data Backend UI Data Backend UI
21. Proposed app architecture API API Data Backend Web UI Android UI Web UI Service Bus Services Apps API iOS UI Web UI Data Backend Data Backend
22. Action 40: To the extent practicable, IU should adapt current systems and require new systems to work effectively with a multitude of commonly used devices. —Empowering People Indiana University’s Strategic Plan for Information Technology 2009
23. The best user interfaces usually arise from teams who are able to focus on less to go deeper into details. —Lucas Rocha http://thelayout.cc/on-scope-and-time/
24. Benefits • More focused roles • UI is not an afterthought • Better user experience • Less support contacts • Non-disruptive technology upgrades • Student/external partnerships
25. Moving forward
26. Action 38: IU should ensure that any system developed, acquired, or being revised maximizes usefulness, perceived ease of use, flexibility, and aesthetic appeal to the greatest extent possible. —Empowering People Indiana University’s Strategic Plan for Information Technology 2009
27. Obstacles • Change is scary • Upfront cost • New skill sets & roles • Communication is difficult • Braving how it should be done
28. Next steps • We don’t have all the answers • Collaborate & communicate 
 across disciplines • Challenge the status quo
29. Be a snowflake that takes responsibility for an avalanche. —Sharlene King http://stemmings.com/snowflakes-avalanches/
30. Tara Bazler
    @taranoba
    tbazler@iu.edu ! Process Experience Architecture Indiana University ! Statewide IT Conference October 2013 Chris Basham @chrisbasham csbasham@iu.edu