Combining Agile methodologies with UX workflow
Apart from its victory in the software development process, the agile process is also being applied in other departments like legal and marketing. It is also being applied to the user experience process. Agile UX workflow helps in identifying issues much sooner minimize surprises, predict timelines, and also deliver faster.
A UX workflow forms a summary of all the steps within your UX process. Right from research and feedback, design specifications, to wireframing and prototyping, and performing user and usability test. These are some of the steps of the user experience process. A workflow helps in knowing the steps and listing them so they are not missed.
Changing to UX workflow? What does it involve?
Designers, developers, researchers, testers etc work in a team and they work towards a single goal of producing a product as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Product discovery includes UX and software architecture along with product management. It also focuses on user activities.
UX design projects are completed in augmentation or supplements. Subsequent repetition and respond to the changes are based on the feedback received after user testing.
Ways in which you can make your UX workflow agile. Time Management & Task Assessment are two steps that could lose productivity for product teams.
Time Tracking. Setting estimates are important, for this time tracking must be done. Take the number of hours required to finish a task and the number of tasks. As the work is done, the product team can record which task is done and how much take was utilized.
Time Boxing. Time boxing all your UX activities will prevent you from suffering idea fatigue. Limiting the meetings will be helpful in keeping the ideas discussed to the most essential.
Assessing Value. Design review meetings and iterations must be working in sync. Now assessing which task weighs down the process and which one boosts the process will be easier to know.
Aligning design & development. Design and development teams must have an open-door policy in order to work efficiently. Both the design and development teams and their tasks should be aligned in order for them to work in sync and harmony.
Parallel Track Approach. In order to avoid any production delays, the UX should be working ahead of the sprints. Make use of a parallel work process which will help in keeping the UX efforts in line. You have to make sure that a designer must be working on a sprint method to make sure there is a design ready for a developer from time to time.
Take a note of the major steps of a design sprint.
Unpack. Involve all the teams and members working on the project in unpacking and make sure they are all aiming in the same direction.
Sketch. Putting things in form of a sketch, do it on paper. Break up the problem into manageable chunks. Assign different chunks to different people.
Decide. This is where the decisions will be made. Take a look at the ideas and any conflicts that are generated. Storyboard your idea and define each interaction in a step-by-step process. Keep refining the list and delete any ideas that don’t look feasible in the process.
Prototype. Now is the time to create interactive prototypes. Pick one tool and start the prototyping. Different teams will be given their work based on the prototypes.
Test. Now while testing the prototype, you will work with different users one-on-one. Take feedback from these users and keep iterating and improving.
Conclusion
The integration of UX workflow with an agile methodology will be helpful in the way that it will organize the design and research activities related to the product. It will also help improve productivity and encourage collaboration among teams. The agile UX workflow turns out to be extremely helpful in the product development process.
