Date post: | 17-Aug-2014 |
Category: |
Design |
Upload: | john-knight |
View: | 2,544 times |
Download: | 1 times |
Winter School 2014
John KnightAalto University of Arts, Design and Architecture
© John Knight, 2014
Agile as a Theory of Design – UX Practitioners’ Survey
EfficiencyRespondents noted better visibility of deliverable – reducing uncertaintyPerceived reduction in reworking and increase in reuse of resourcesFeedback supporting better scope management and clarity of requirements Belief that Agile improved quality assurance
A comparison of methods (Case Study) suggested that Agile provides a collaborative framework that has the potential to aid reflexivity and accelerate a design focus: Categories from the study included:
Case study – Agile vs. Waterfall comparison
SatisfactionPerceived reduction in effort in general and better and clearer focus Belief of more even distribution of work with greater involvement across disciplinesFeedback on more clearly defined roles and responsibilities and reduced conflict
QualityThe sense that there was more effective and informed decision-makingIncreased involvement in process improvementsPerceived reduction in ‘production’ effort and greater ‘thinking’ time
CollaborationFeedback that knowledge sharing throughout the lifecycle improvedReported clearer sense of direction and cohesiveness – common goalThe sense that engagement had increased within the wider project team
Emergent – There is a dialogic relationship between outcome and activity – wicked problemProvisional – Artefacts manifest partial solutions at any point in timeContractual – Deliverables embody contractual agreementsMutable – Outcomes are amenable to ongoing change
The implications of the Case Study included the potential for Agile to be an implicit theory of the activity of design and its outcomes as defined below – these needed to be tested:
Implications from the case study
Co-creative – A distributed activity involving clients and practitionersReflexive – An iterative social process of doing and reflectingInclusive – Accommodates a wide set of stakeholdersRecursive – A continuous process of improvement
Agile Design Theory Agile Artefact Theory
‘Traditional’ Design Theory ‘Traditional’ Artefact Theory
IndividualisticInternally ReflexiveExclusive to ‘Designers’Focused on early ‘conceptual’ design
EmergentProvisional‘Designerly ‘rather than pragmaticProducts tend to be ‘fixed’ after ‘design’
Enhancements to the Case Study required surveying greater numbers of practitioners and widening the scope of enquiry to investigate the following topics:
Improvements to the case study
Does Agile foster collaboration?
Does Agile foster efficiency?
Does Agile foster knowledge sharing?
Does Agile help decision-making?
Does Agile improve quality?
Does Agile foster creativity?
Does Agile foster client
relationships?
Does Agile foster reflexivity?
105Respondents
An online survey was run over two months with a good response rate from relevant respondents (UX) generating a good amount of qualitative and quantitative data
Follow-on Online Survey of UX Practitioners
Range of Qualitative and Quantitative Data The client often learns a lot
(maybe more than they need?!) and team members
learn more about PM. Everyone else learns a little
about everything.
Good Response Rate and Profile Match
Agile fosters collaboration between different teams
Survey Results - Collaboration
67%
Agile hinders efficiency
Survey Results - Efficiency
74%
Agile fosters sharing knowledge and skills
Survey Results - Knowledge Sharing
78%
Agile hinders effective decision-making
Survey Results - Decision-making
64%
Agile hinders the quality of deliverables
Survey Results- Quality
59%
Agile fosters creativity
Survey Results – Creativity
55%
Agile hinders cooperation between clients and teams
Survey Results – Client Engagement
60%
Agile fosters knowledge development
Survey Results - Reflexivity
66%