feeling depressed in your agile project? invite a usability expert!
DESCRIPTION
How can we include usability aspects in an agile development project? That was our main issue. We have tried to answer three questions. What is the stead of the usability expert in the project? How to organize his/her work? How to adapt his/her practices? We also present the results of our experimentation.TRANSCRIPT
Feeling depressed in your agile project?
Invite a usability expert!
Public Research Centre Henri Tudor29, Avenue John F. Kennedy
L-1855 Luxemburg – Kirchberg
+352 42 59 91 – 1
www.tudor.lu
ContactLou Schwartz [[email protected]]
Methods SimplificationCut into several achievable
requirements in one iteration (e.g.)Presentation of results
Task analysisOnly for complex
tasks Task by task Tasks tree
Mock-upsPaper,
monochromeBy screen or by task
Paper board or on video-
projector
Heuristic
evaluations
Use only one list of
guidelines /
heuristics
By screen and 1 global analysis
− Highlight the problem on
screen shots
− Describe the problem
− Indicate the usability
priority for the problem
− Propose improvements
Cards sorting
No software, use
paper to make
cards
− List the functionalities
− Make the cards
− Define the categories
… See user tests for the next steps
New organization of
information in the
application on a modified
screen shot
User tests
No usability lab,
direct observation,
1 video camera if
necessary, capture
user activity and
comments
− Select users
− Contact users
− Prepare guidelines
− Prepare data set
− Prepare the observation grid
− Do the tests, one user = 1
requirement
− Do the Individual analysis
− Do the global synthesis
− Present the results
− Highlight the problem on
screen shots
− Describe the problem
− Indicate usability priority
for the problem
− Indicate number of users
who have noted this
problem
− Propose improvements
Satisfaction
questionnaires
Use an existing
questionnaire and
well knew by the
usability expert
− Find the questionnaire
− …
− Get the results
− Analyze results
− Present the results
− Graphically
− Explanation of each
categories of the
questionnaire
− Propose improvements
Adaptation of usability methods to the agilityA particular effort has to be done on the presentation of results: simple, visual, and
efficient to be discussed in a meeting. And propose as soon as possible :
− A usability priority (to assist in making decisions and help to prioritize)
− Propose directly solutions and improvements
After the adaptation of usability methods to the agile context, if a usability requirement
cannot be achieved in one iteration, split it into several tasks.
One iteration (1 to 8 weeks): organization of work
Definition of
the first list of
requirements
Budget or
duration limit
is chosen
Delivery,
validation
and tests
Product
Product
owner
Product
owner
CoachProduct
owner
One agile projectIntegration of the usability expert in the team. Participation to all meetings with the same position as a developer.
No competition between developers and the usability expert: fostered collaborative work, exchanges and knowledge sharing.
Iterations
ProposalThe usability expert, as developers, has a list of requirements to achieve during the
project which is enriched throughout the project. His role is to help the product owner
in validating the product usability and propose solutions to improve it.
One user or several users ? − Permanent contact with the product owner
− Product owner is an end-user and has to represent all of them
− It is allowed to contact others users, e.g. through the user tests
Integration of a usability expert in the technical team − Direct contact with the product owner and developers
− Developers feedbacks on the technical feasibility of usability expert's proposals
comes early enough to save him the trouble of designing impractical solutions
− Improve and promote exchanges and foster the emergence of common solutions
One proposal, one experimentation
Difficulties− Not enough contacts with users,
but one intensive contact with the
product owner, who is an end-user
− Lack of perceived usefulness of
usability methods for the product
owner need to present them,
oriented on outcomes
− Presentation of results simpler
and more illustrated with proposals
of solutions and priorities
− Not easy for a usability expert to
adapt himself to the agile context
Improvements proposed− Involve the usability expert in the
writing of the first list of
requirements
− Improve the adaptation of the
usability methods
Positive points− True exchanges with one end-user
throughout the project, the product owner
− Guarantee of context and utility
− He is a constant tester
− Training of the product owner he
develops “usability reflexes”
− True exchanges with developers
throughout the project
− Know always the feasibility of proposals
− Build a common frame of reference
− Training of the both parts on the work of
each other
− Training of developers develop
“usability reflexes”
− Developers can propose solutions from
technical possibilities if usability expert
has no solution
− Constant feedbacks on the work done
continuous improvement
− Satisfaction of seeing his work used
− Usability expert has the feeling that he
really can influence the design
Experimentation results
Estimate
the cost of
realization
(difficulty)
Specifies
requirementsValidates work
Product
Defines new
requirements
Achievement
Achievement
Daily meetingsPrioritizes
requirements
Planning
Selection of
requirements
to achieve
for this
iteration
Demonstration
of the product
developed and
of the work
done
Retrospective
of the process
and of the
work
Follow-up
Usability expert
Product owner
= 1 end-user
Coach
Developers
The team work