[LRUG] Agile and User centred design

[Chris Parsons]

On 30 Jan 2009, at 10:18, James Adam wrote:

> 1) For the designers, they aren't used to working directly with  
> developers and taking feedback while development occurs. I think  
> they might be more used to crafting away in Photoshop until their  
> comp looks perfect, gets sign-off from the client/customer (see  
> below), and then "throwing it over the wall" to development, who  
> have to interpret it into HTML/CSS or whatever.

This is really used getting down to a question of how people are used  
to working. I don't see any reason designers can't work in an agile  
fashion (but then again, I'm a developer :) There are some interesting  
posts on SvN about how they iterate through design - perhaps it's  
worth having a read through[1].

> 2) For the business heads, they don't actually care about  
> development, only the end result. And so they get the most immediate  
> satisfaction at the point where the designer has finished the comp,  
> and they can see their idea realised (with the emphasis, alas, on  
> 'real') in pixel-perfect detail. It could be that at this point, the  
> business person feels like their idea has been basically finished,  
> and now it only needs to be implemented.

Too true. We learned this lesson the hard way - we try to ensure  
design progress is commensurate with development, at least in the  
development stage[2]. Quite often clients will see a finished design  
and assume the 'hard work' has already been done: whether that's a  
mockup on their browser or even just a pdf!

Ultimately I think it's down to communication. Have a good listen to  
the designers and allow them to vent about their issues with agile,  
and try to get to the root of what they're saying and then address  
those issues. If people really don't want to switch then you aren't  
going to be able to make them, but if they've got a bunch of  
misconceptions which you can easily blow away then you might make some  
progress.

Hope that's helpful
Chris

[1] For example, see: http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/1496-design-decisions-the-new-highrise-signup-chart
[2] http://blog.edendevelopment.co.uk/2008/09/25/why-design-completeness-should-track-the-project-schedule/


--
Chris Parsons
Managing Director
Eden Development (UK) Ltd

chris at edendevelopment.co.uk
www.edendevelopment.co.uk

0845 0097 094
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