Agile & UX Can Totally Be Friends - And Lean UX is the way

An agile/ux transformation case study and Lean UX introduction as presented at Boston PHP, April 4th, 2012.

Transcript

1. Agile and User Experience Can Totally Be Friends …and Lean UX is the way… Boston PHP April 4th, 2012
2. Who am I? interaction designer. team leader. author. jeff gothelf currently: principal at proof author @ o’reilly (lean ux, 2012) previously: theladders, publicis modem, webtrends, aol, tons o’startups blog: www.jeffgothelf.com twitter: @jboogie email: jeff@proof-nyc.com #leanux
3. Everything was butterflies and rainbows in our waterfall world I couldn’t find a pic of a waterfall, a rainbow AND butterflies….sorry. http://www.niagarafallscanadapics.net/Niagara-falls-Canada-rainbow-pdam2.jpg !  3-9 month release cycles !  Thick functional specs !  In-depth wireframe decks !  Long visual design cycles !  Late-stage user validation and testing !  Explicit hand-offs
4. We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock… In fact, we had no idea we were going for a ride. http://www.fieldmuseum.org/museum_info/press/images/nature1_lg.jpg
5. We were told tales of glamour and victory! Improvements galore! http://membres.multimania.fr/frodon9/hpbimg/oliphant.jpg
6. So we set out on a quest to find the unicorn! And this was no ordinary unicorn. http://www.boingboing.net/gimages/patrick.jpg
7. We had some very thorny issues to tackle. These became clear very early. http://www.africandreamadventuresafaris.com/thornbush-arusha-national-park.JPG !  What to do with Big Upfront Design? !  How do you maintain focus on a bigger vision? !  Can we maintain product quality? !  How do you produce creative work faster? !  How do you keep the engineering teams busy each iteration? !  Will lighter product iterations be accepted by the business? !  Will we be blamed if they don’t?
8. The journey of 1000 miles starts with one step. Our first step was research. http://www.africandreamadventuresafaris.com/thornbush-arusha-national-park.JPG Agile and user experience
9. And more research… This time with humans.
10. We even sought out The Oracle… He was very oracle-ish. http://www.xqa.com.ar/visualmanagement/wp-content/uploads/XQA_9437.JPG
11. Our first attempt: Just get it all done in 2 weeks.
12. We took our 9-month waterfall process… Which was mighty and massive http://www.julia-mathewson.com/photos/usa_2005_photos/8niagara1.jpg
13. And jammed it into a 2-week timeframe. We kept all the pieces and processes the same. http://www6.worldisround.com/photos/29/323/524_o.jpg
14. We became chairmen of the boards. It got a little silly, actually. “The whiteboards do not help organize the UX team’s work at all. Instead, they block out natural light from the windows and create a harsh and uncreative visual environment.” - Internal survey respondent
15. Functional specs were now banned. The story card had taken the spec’s place. And it multiplied.
16. The boards took on multiple purposes. Functional spec. Project plan. Resource allocation. And status indication.
17. The boards took on multiple purposes. Functional spec. Project plan. Resource allocation. And status indication.
18. But, hey, the UX team got its own board. Which is nice.
19. Wireframes picked up the heavy lifting specs had left behind. Annotations galore!
20. Dreams of a “vision” document never materialized. You can dream in one hand and poop in the other. See which one fills first.
22. Learnings from our first attempt: UX morale in the crapper Perceived quality of work was much lower No time to design No ownership or pride in the work Summary: FAIL
23. Through further iterations, we learned: Put everything in-line.
24. Wait! You forgot usability testing! How else will we know how awesome we are? http://stevejencks.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/usability.jpg !  Every other week (2 weeks sprints) !  Mid-way through the sprint !  Enough time to react !  Show whatever you have ready !  No more than 3 participants !  Clear the boulders !  Validate and iterate
25. Great, the customer likes it. What about the product owner? Opinions are like belly buttons. Belly buttons on cats. http://www.flickr.com/photos/janekeeler/4677093058/sizes/l/ !  Design reviews !  2 reviews per iteration !  Initial review mid-way in the sprint, directional alignment !  Second review is final – 95% done !  Ad hoc reviews in between !  Decision at second review is made to move forward or spend another iteration designing
26. Continued learnings: In-sprint user testing provides continuous user feedback in advance of coding Lightweight and cost-effective testing Formal, fixed design reviews provide mileposts for everyone to strive toward (but difficult to enforce) Unified approval processes buy more UX time (when everyone plays along) Summary: (mostly) Win!
27. Something was still wrong though: Everyone was still on the same team
28. User Experience is a shared service Biz Line Biz Line Biz Line Biz Line
29. Biz Line Biz Line Biz Line Biz Line UX UX UX UX
30. Learnings from team alignment changes: Focusing teams on one workstream proves effective Camaraderie, communication benefit from aligned teams Summary: Win!
31. http://www.freakingnews.com/Bottle-Neck-Pics-36343.asp In fast-paced Agile environments, traditional UX is a bottleneck We were getting in our own way #LeanUX | @jboogie
32. With interactive experiences evolving rapidly The traditional design deliverable is an inefficient obstacle #LeanUX | @jboogie
33. Lean UX Inspired by Lean Startup and Agile development theories, it’s the practice of bringing the true nature of design work to light faster, with less emphasis on deliverables and greater focus on the actual experience being designed. #LeanUX | @jboogie
34. Agile •  Individuals and interactions over processes and tools •  Working software over comprehensive documentation •  Customer collaboration over contract negotiation •  Responding to change over following a plan Lean Startup The Lean Startup methodology has as a premise that every startup is a grand experiment that attempts to answer a question. The question is not "Can this product be built?" Instead, the questions are "Should this product be built?" and "Can we build a sustainable business around this set of products and services?" This experiment is more than just theoretical inquiry; it is a first product. #LeanUX | @jboogie
35. It goes a little something like this… Do this. Quickly. Many times. Concept Prototype Validate Internally Test Externally Learn from user behavior Iterate Just the UX process #LeanUX | @jboogie
36. #LeanUX | @jboogie “Go that way. Really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.” -Charles DeMar (Curtis Armstrong) to Lane Myer (John Cusack) in “Better Off Dead”
37. Designers can’t hide behind their monitor any more! This is a designer-led initiative http://www.flickr.com/photos/yamagatacamille/4799648425/sizes/l/ #LeanUX | @jboogie
38. Get design work out there. Fast. In public. (See? That UX board worked out after all.) #LeanUX | @jboogie
39. OK. I’m intrigued. But how does it really work? First 5 things you need to do… #LeanUX | @jboogie
40. Solve the problem together As opposed to implementing someone else’s solution #LeanUX | @jboogie 1!
41. Sketching It’s all the rage! #LeanUX | @jboogie 2!
42. Example of sketching at work V1 of the UI #LeanUX | @jboogie 2!
43. Sketching brings experiences to life faster Launched UI http://www.flickr.com/photos/mims/326748812/sizes/l/ #LeanUX | @jboogie 2!
44. Get the experience out there, not the document Validate your hypotheses #LeanUX | @jboogie 3! http://www.macdavidpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/4355664150_68b8aa58a9_o-600x337.jpg
45. Pair up! But do it, cross-functionally #LeanUX | @jboogie 4! http://photofind.com/featured-photo/20-uncomfortable-moments-in-sports
46. Pairing saves time Builds a common language #LeanUX | @jboogie http://hoveringartdirectors.tumblr.com/page/2 4!
47. Pairing sets designers free, man …and empowers developers! #LeanUX | @jboogie http://www.clydekellerphotos.com/images/AP_Kesey_HippiesDancing_GALLERY_CGW.jpg 4!
48. Style guides! The cause of, and solution to, all your UX problems #LeanUX | @jboogie 5!
49. They’re good for developers too! Creates a reusable asset library and point from which to start #LeanUX | @jboogie 5!
50. More specifically, Lean UX is… #LeanUX | @jboogie
51. Critique Early and often on designs that don’t feel “finished” #LeanUX | @jboogie
52. From Design Criticism and the Creative Process by Cassie McDaniel on A List Apart, 11 Jan, 2011. http://www.alistapart.com/articles/design-criticism-creative-process/ #LeanUX | @jboogie Designers shouldn’t be expected to get it right the first time Nobody else has to
53. Control Designers still facilitate the design process #LeanUX | @jboogie
54. It’s not “The Spec” that gives control Lead with conversation, trail with documentation http://talkingtraffic.org/wp-content/images/stack_documents.jpg #LeanUX | @jboogie
55. Momentum Everyone’s engaged. Everyone’s motivated. #LeanUX | @jboogie
56. Keep everybody moving forward Developers, stakeholders, product managers and team. http://www.flickr.com/photos/37541410@N03/3901861703/sizes/l/ #LeanUX | @jboogie
57. Quality No compromises #LeanUX | @jboogie
58. “Speed first. Aesthetics second.” – Jason Fried, 37Signals.com #LeanUX | @jboogie
59. “Going for the bronze.” – A Creative Director I used to work with #LeanUX | @jboogie
60. What about the quality of the design? Iterations mean quality continually improves. http://stockthemind.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/project-cartoon.jpg #LeanUX | @jboogie
61. Is it viable? Yes, but does anybody actually want it? Minimally viable Minimally desirable
62. Feasibility Make sure it can be built (and built well) #LeanUX | @jboogie
63. Prototype it! But not all of it. hthttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mQ4dc8irsc0/S_TZkx7B_3I/AAAAAAAAAM0/lwh7NTbtKMo/s1600/PopGlider+assembled+2.jpgtp:// #LeanUX | @jboogie
64. Once validated, demo to the team. Presto! Instant documentation. http://www.flickr.com/photos/koolwaaij/152426460/sizes/o/ No additional deliverables are needed! #LeanUX | @jboogie
65. Customer validation Your design is a hypothesis #LeanUX | @jboogie
66. Validate your hypothesis with customers Keep it light and cheap. http://www.flickr.com/photos/forakerdesign/3657336793/sizes/l/ #LeanUX | @jboogie
67. Use data to settle subjective issues A/B testing can settle these “Pepsi challenges” http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__3p5_gzemps/TLpuaIolhlI/AAAAAAAAA-o/smDfmM8xqQM/s1600/Coke-vs-Pepsi.jpg #LeanUX | @jboogie
68. Fill in the gaps Build a shared understanding #LeanUX | @jboogie
69. The more you talk about it The easier it is for the team to put the pieces together (and find missing ones) http://www.flickr.com/photos/adysmiles/4822749055/sizes/l/ #LeanUX | @jboogie
70. What about estimates & prioritization? A shared understanding builds that into the conversation http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FfetiF7C9vo/SEeOU0ew8KI/AAAAAAAAILU/CE_tq46wDYM/S600/Washington+DC+auto+mechanic,+1942.JPG
71. Form factor is ultimately irrelevant There are many ways to validate hypotheses
72. Whether it’s software or hardware, how lean can you go? There are many ways to validate hypotheses
73. Informal and quick is better than…. Delayed feedback loops
74. Informal and quick is better than…. Delayed feedback loops
75. Informal and quick is better than…. Delayed feedback loops
76. What Lean UX is NOT #LeanUX | @jboogie
77. Lazy. Sorry. You still have to work hard. http://www.steadyburn.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/lazy-cat5.jpg “…the best part … is that the team is doing a F@&K-TON of UX. They document a ton of stuff explicitly on the walls and implicitly in shared understanding among team members.” - Austin Govella commenting on Whitney Hess’s “Why I Detest the Term Lean UX” http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2011/02/27/why-i-detest-the-term-lean-ux/ #LeanUX | @jboogie
78. The only thing being removed is waste. Leave the toolbox intact. Use the tools as necessary. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mims/326748812/sizes/l/ #LeanUX | @jboogie
79. This is NOT design-by-committee! That never leads to anything pretty. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mims/326748812/sizes/l/ #LeanUX | @jboogie
80. Can I make this happen in my organization? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Yessssssssss! #LeanUX | @jboogie
81. You’re an in-house designer… Start small and internal. Ask for forgiveness. http://sarah.theworkexperiment.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/think-big-start-small1.jpg #LeanUX | @jboogie
82. You are in the problem-solving business and you don’t solve problems with design documentation. You solve them with elegant, efficient and sophisticated software. #LeanUX | @jboogie
83. Startups This is the only way to work… http://militarytobusiness.blogspot.com/2010/12/start-ups-at-hbs.html #LeanUX | @jboogie
84. #LeanUX | @jboogie The interactive agency and services world. Tougher sell. Worth it in the end.
85. Agencies are in the deliverables business. #LeanUX | @jboogie
86. Recapping the “internal” Lean UX process…. Remember? Concept Prototype Validate Internally Test Externally Learn from user behavior Iterate Just the UX process #LeanUX | @jboogie
87. For services agencies it looks slightly different Give your clients the power. They like that. Concept Prototype Validate w/client Learn from user behavior Iterate Validate w/client #LeanUX | @jboogie
88. Consultants are specialized mini-agencies Success with Lean UX will be determined by attention level #LeanUX | @jboogie
89. Reducing deliverables efforts reduces revenue In theory… Fewer deliverables Fewer billable hours $$$$ Project delivered faster Happier, more empowered client Better outcomes #LeanUX | @jboogie
90. Invest in your client’s success It shows the confidence you have in your work http://www.flickr.com/photos/19638298@N00/143127498/sizes/z/ #LeanUX | @jboogie
91. Distributed teams do it remotely! If they’re a part of you, it’s on! If not, it ain’t bloody likely. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2361/2076450897_be1b8ace7c.jpg #LeanUX | @jboogie
92. Is this good for every project? Use it where it makes sense. http://www.krackblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/david_hasselhoff_gary_coleman-e1275077640952.jpg #LeanUX | @jboogie
93. Functional, task-flow projects work well. There’s a clear end goal. #LeanUX | @jboogie
94. Highly experiential marketing projects will struggle. Time to ideate and create options is essential. #LeanUX | @jboogie
95. What about content heavy experiences? Some up front planning is necessary. #LeanUX | @jboogie
96. Case Study 100 Days of Collaboration #LeanUX | @jboogie
97. Problem Statement: “You’re like Monster, but I have to pay for it.” #LeanUX | @jboogie
98. 3 days, 3 themes: Acquisition and conversion Resume services A human in every interaction #LeanUX | @jboogie
99. #LeanUX | @jboogie
100. #LeanUX | @jboogie
101. #LeanUX | @jboogie
102. #LeanUX | @jboogie
103. #LeanUX | @jboogie
104. Designers are used to being heroes. Lean UX is distinctly, anti-hero. http://www.abegoodman.com/Images/greatest-american-hero.jpg #LeanUX | @jboogie
105. #LeanUX | @jboogie This is Design Thinking brought to a broader audience. Which creates empathy for: -  The customer -  The problem space -  The design discipline
106. This is an evolution. Not a revolution. Designers must evolve to stay relevant. http://www.flickr.com/photos/freejay3/2387714157/sizes/l/ #LeanUX | @jboogie
107. Once you go lean… Apparently it’s good and you can’t go back to…err…fat…or something #LeanUX | @jboogie
108. Thank you
     jboogie jeff
     proof-nyc.com www.leanuxbook.com www.jeffgothelf.com slideshare.net/jgothelf I’m writing a book! Pre-order here