[IxDA Discuss] UCD and Agile Programming - models of involvement

[Paul de Curnou]

Mimi

We have customers who have run into these issues as well.  The short answer
that I can provide is to use what is generically called the model based
development for interfaces. The key is to minimize the work products that
are thrown away from step to step.  For example, if the usability folks need
to change something in the interface design, it takes too long and costs too
much to move components within the  design and many people on the team are
unhappy about the compromises and the time (and money) lost.

This third way honors the original vision for a product, incorporates the
testing and simulation, and what gets deployed is something without
compromise.   

Several of our customers were able to change their development process in
this manner.  One in particular was very skeptical and tried both models in
parallel.  The model based development process was used and the customer was
able to design, test, develop and deploy in 5% of the time that it
traditionally took.  They were happy, their customer was happy, and they got
their product to market (and made money off of it) in less time as well. 
 

Paul 

-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
[mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of Mimi
Knowles
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 12:43 PM
To: discuss at ixda.org
Subject: [IxDA Discuss] UCD and Agile Programming - models of involvement

[Please voluntarily trim replies to include only relevant quoted material.]

I have reviewed the previous postings regarding how Usability fits in with
Agile Programming and I have a slightly different question.

 

I am an Interaction Designer and have worked with Agile Programming teams in
two different ways. I was hoping people could comment on the methods and
provide any insight on preferred methods, etc.

 

1.	On one project, the usability team would always be an iteration
ahead of the development team, creating storyboards and fleshing out
interaction details to hand off to the development team when they were
ready. During the development iteration, the usability team would continue
supporting the actual development of the application while doing the
storyboarding for the upcoming iteration.

 

2.	On the other project, the usability team worked in tandem with the
development team (same iteration at the same time), fleshing out design
concepts at the same time as the developers were figuring out the technical
details and coding. 

 

I found the first method to be much more effective. Has anyone found a
particular method of involvement that works particularly well?

 

Thanks,

Mimi 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mimi Knowles

Partner / Principal Consultant

Limina Application Office, LLC

P: 808.987.9487

E:  <mailto:mknowles at limina-ao.com> mknowles at limina-ao.com

http:// <http://www.limina-ao.com> www.limina-ao.com 

 

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