UX @ Agile

Myths, Legends and The Path To Success

(How to Integrate UX in large, Agile driven organizations - 3rd iteration)

Ran Liron
Head of UX @
Ran Liron
Head of UX @ CyberArk

Academic manager, UX studies @ Technion,

continues education unit
UX mentor at Google’s Launchpad
UXring since 1996…
Waterfall VS Agile
 RFP
RFP
RFPs
Research

Waterfall RFP
RFP
PRDs
Planning
Sequential process – RFP
RFP
Specs

Step by step, Design

from planning to delivery RFP
RFP
Style
Guides
Development
RFP
RFP
STDs
QA

Deployment!
 MMF

Agile
Planning Design Dev QA

Incremental
Planning Design Dev QA process

Planning Design Dev QA

MVP
Agile vs. Waterfall Success Rate
Project Agile Waterfall
Size Failure rate Failure rate

Small 4% 11%
Large 23% 42%
* Standish Group 2015 Chaos Report 2015 - https://www.infoq.com/articles/standish-chaos-2015
Waterfall VS Agile
 VS

Common
Misconceptions
About agile UX
 Misconception #1:
In Agile You Shouldn’t Plan Ahead
Agile Sprints
Sprint has fixed length –
between 1 week to 4 weeks
Agile & Planning
Planning?
Dev Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 7 Sprint 8

… …

UX for UX for UX for UX for UX for

UX Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4 Sprint 8 Sprint 9
Agile & Planning
Planning?
Dev Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 7 Sprint 8

PM for UX for
Sprint 3 Sprint 3 … …

UX for UX for UX for UX for UX for

UX Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4 Sprint 8 Sprint 9
Agile & Planning
UX should work at least a sprint ahead of dev.
PM – at least two sprints ahead.
Dev Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 7 Sprint 8

PM for UX for
Sprint 3 Sprint 3 … …

UX for UX for UX for UX for UX for

UX Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4 Sprint 8 Sprint 9
Agile & Planning
Start with Sprint 0 - Define the vision
Dev Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 7 Sprint 8

Sprint 0
… …
3 weeks
to 3 month

UX for UX for UX for UX for UX for

UX Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4 Sprint 8 Sprint 9
Agile & Planning
Reoccurring Design Spikes
Dev Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 7 Sprint 8

Sprint 0
… …
3 weeks
to 3 month

UX for UX for UX for UX for Design

UX for
UX Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4 Sprint 8 Spike9
Sprint
Agile & Planning: Summary
• UX should work at least a sprint ahead of dev.
PM – at least two sprints ahead.

• Start with Sprint 0 - Define the vision

• Reoccurring Design Spikes

 Misconception #2:
In Agile There is No Time
To Perform UX Research & Validation
Research and Testing in Agile
Research on Sprint 0

Dev User Research

Sprint 1
Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 7 Sprint 8
User Observations, Surveys, Interviews, etc.
Sprint 0
Market Research… …
Competitor Analysis
3 weeks
to 3 month
Information
UX for UX for
Architecture
UX for UX for
Validation
Design UX for
UX Card
Sprint 2 Sorting,
Sprint 3 Low-fi
Sprint 4 Usability
Sprint 8Testing,
Spike etc.
Sprint 9
Research and Testing in Agile
Research During the Design Spike
Testing
Dev Sprint 1 Our
Sprint 2 Options
Sprint 3 Sprint 7 Sprint 8
A/B Testing, Usability Testing
Sprint 0
Product Validation
… …
3 weeks
Usage Tracking, Eye Tracking
to 3 month

UX for UX for UX for UX for Design UX for

UX Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4 Sprint 8 Spike Sprint 9
Research and Testing in Agile
Ongoing Validating the Design
Testing (Usability Testing, A/B testing)
Dev Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 7 Sprint 8

Sprint 0 Test Test

… …
3 weeks
to 3 month

UX for UX for UX for UX for Design UX for

UX Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4 Sprint 8 Spike Sprint 9
Research and Testing in Agile
Ongoing Testing Validating the Implementation

Dev Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 7 Sprint 8

Sprint 0
… …
3 weeks
to 3 month

UX for UX for UX for UX for Design UX for

UX Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4 Sprint 8 Spike Sprint 9
Research and Testing in Agile
Ongoing Research

Dev Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 7 Sprint 8

Sprint 0
… …
3 weeks
Continuous research and validation track
to 3 month

UX for UX for UX for UX for Design UX for

UX Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4 Sprint 8 Spike Sprint 9
Continuous research and validation track
Research and Testing in Agile: Summary
• Research on Sprint 0
• Research During the Design Spike
• Ongoing Research & Validation
• Validating Next sprint UX design
• Testing the implementation on the same sprint
• Continuous research and validation track
 Misconception #3:
In Agile We Work Quicker
and Make Less Mistakes

Agile is an opportunity to fail fast,

and learn from your mistakes
build – measure – learn  Fix!
 Misconception #4:
In Agile, there is no need
for UX documentation
No Need For UX Documentation?
From the Agile Manifesto:
“Value working software over
comprehensive documentation".
No Need For UX Documentation?
From the 12 Principles Behind Agile:
“The most efficient and effective
method… is face-to-face
conversation"
No Need For UX Documentation?

So…
no documentation in Agile?
With Whom Do We Need To Communicate?

Visual Designers UX Experts UX Researchers

UI & UX
PM
Product
R&D Managers
Front-End Developers R&D Managers
No Need for UX Documentation
For large teams, UX documentation is
essential

Strive to find the right balance -

•Just enough documentation
•Documentation doesn’t replace F2F
communication
 Tips
for Integrating Agile UX
In Big Organizations
 Tip #1:
What makes MVP
“viable”?
Tip #1:
What makes MVP “viable”?
MVP: Minimal Viable Product
MMF: Minimal Marketable Feature
MVF: Minimum Viable Feature
Tip #1:
What makes MVP “viable”?
Enjoyable

Is this really a Usable

VIABLE
Product? Reliable

Functional
(features)

Jon H. Pittman on Medium - “The Tyranny of the Minimum Viable Product”

Tip #1:
What makes MVP “viable”?
Enjoyable

Usable

Reliable

Functional (features)

Jon H. Pittman on Medium - “The Tyranny of the Minimum Viable Product”

Tip #1:
Good UX Should Be Part Of The MVP

L
Laurence McCahill on Medium - “So long MVP. Hello Minimum Loveable Product”
MVP?
This is not the to way to build a viable product

This too, is not the way to build a viable product

See “What is Minimum Viable Product all about” –

https://www.innofied.com/updated-mobile-app-development-mvp-strategy-for-startup/
MVP?

This is the way to build a viable product

See “What is Minimum Viable Product all about” –

https://www.innofied.com/updated-mobile-app-development-mvp-strategy-for-startup/
MVP?
MVP is “viable” if it provides value,
end to end.

MVP is about providing good user

experience, not “tolerable” experience
 Tip #2:
Clear UX DoD
DoD: Definition of Done
What exactly is acceptable delivery for the upcoming sprint?

The design: Full, accurate

Specific Part? Something Similar? delivery?
Tip #3:
It Is All About Communication
Working with local teams
• Sit together
• Constant feedback –
Don’t communicate only in “meetings”
Tip #3:
It Is All About Communication
Working with remote teams
• Support autonomy base on agreed guidelines
• Don’t be a stranger – face to face it
Tip #3:
It Is All About Communication
In any case, remember to listen -
UX doesn’t own the truth.
Takeaways!
Takeaways
• Define the vision on Sprint 0
• Design Spikes
• Move From MVP to MLP
• Provide Clear Definition of Done
• “Just Enough” Documentation + F2F Communication
• Invest In Effective Communication
 Sources and Materials
• This presentation: www.slideshare.com/RanLiron
• Agile vs. Waterfall success rate: https://www.infoq.com/articles/standish-chaos-2015
• Sprint 0 & Design Spike:
“Fitting Big-Picture UX Into Agile Development” Damon Dimmick, SmashingMagazine
• “What is Minimum Viable Product all about” –
https://www.innofied.com/updated-mobile-app-development-mvp-strategy-for-startup/

• MVP > MLP:

• “So long MVP. Hello Minimum Loveable Product” - Laurence McCahill on Medium
• “The Tyranny of the Minimum Viable Product” - Jon H. Pittman on Medium

• MVP as a learning tool

• Podcast - Finding the Minimum Viable Product - Jeff “Cheezy” Morgan
(on Mastering Business Analysis Podcast)
Enjoy!
Ran Liron
LironRan@gmail.com
054-5999947