1. Agile for the rest of us
IA Summit, March 22, 2009
© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

2. Big Picture
Traditional
(Waterfall)
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

3. Big Picture
Traditional
Agile
(Waterfall)
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

4. Big Picture
Developers
Traditional
Agile
(Waterfall)
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

5. Big Picture
Developers
Traditional
Agile
(Waterfall)
Us?
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

6. I talk to *a lot* of IA’s
NYC IA Meetup, Founded 2003, 700+ Members
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

7. Adoption Patterns
Developers
Traditional
(Waterfall) Agile
Us?
UX
Doesn’t
seem to
make sense
for what we
do.
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

8. Adoption Patterns
Developers
Traditional
(Waterfall) Agile
Us?
UX
Doesn’t
seem to Interested, not
make sense
sure how to
for what we adopt.
do.
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

9. Adoption Patterns
Developers
Traditional
(Waterfall) Agile
Us? UX
UX
Doesn’t
seem to Trying it,
Interested, not
make sense but
sure how to
for what we struggling.
adopt.
do.
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

10. Adoption Patterns
Developers
Traditional
(Waterfall) Agile
Us? UX
UX
Doesn’t
Yup, we’
seem to Trying it,
Interested, not
re Agile.
make sense but
sure how to
for what we struggling.
adopt.
do.
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

11. Adoption Patterns
Developers
Traditional
(Waterfall) Agile
Us? UX
UX
Doesn’t
Yup,
seem to Trying
Interested, not we’re
make sense it, but
sure how to Agile.
for what we struggling.
adopt.
do.
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

12. What I’ll Be Talking About
o A UX Reading of the Manifesto
o Agile via Waterfall
o Re-Thinking Documents
o The Smallest Biggest Step
o Pushing Back
o Looking Forward
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

13. A UX Reading of the Manifesto
Beyond working sofware
© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

14. The Agile Manifesto
www.agilemanifesto.org
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

15. The Agile Manifesto
www.agilemanifesto.org
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

16. The Agile Manifesto
www.agilemanifesto.org
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

17. The Agile Manifesto
A Value Framework
www.agilemanifesto.org
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

18. Planning Poker
Agile Coach
Spikes
Extreme Programming
Backlogs
Scrum Test-Driven
Development
Story Cards Customer
Sprints
Product Owner Velocity
Standups
Daily Standups
Refactoring
Burndown
Crystal Methods Pair Programming
Feature-Driven
Development
Scrum Master
Adaptive Software Development
Dynamic Systems Development
Lean Development
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

19. Planning Poker
Agile Coach
Spikes
Extreme Programming
Backlogs
Scrum Test-Driven
Development
Story Cards Customer
Sprints
Product Owner Velocity
Standups
Methodology Templates
Daily Standups
Refactoring
Burndown
Crystal Methods Pair Programming
Feature-Driven
Development
Scrum Master
Adaptive Software Development
Dynamic Systems Development
Lean Development
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

20. Agile via Waterfall
Confronting Future Promises
© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

21. Waterfall
Initiate Design Build Test Deploy
Research
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

22. Waterfall
Production (Developer Perspective)
Initiate Design Build Test Deploy
Research
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

23. Waterfall
Design (Our Perspective) Production (Developer Perspective)
Initiate Design Build Test Deploy
Research
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

24. Waterfall
Design (Our Perspective) Production (Developer Perspective)
Initiate Design Build Test Deploy
Research
Documents Software
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

25. Waterfall
Grand
Vision
Design (Our Perspective) Production (Developer Perspective)
Initiate Design Build Test Deploy
Research
Documents Software
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

26. Reality Grand
Vision
Initiate Research Design Build
Design
Build
Research
Deploy
Test
Heroics
Muddling
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

27. Reality Grand
Vision
Dev: This is taking
longer to build
than I estimated…
Initiate Research Design Build
Design
Build
Research
Deploy
Test
Heroics
Muddling
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

28. Reality Grand
Vision
Dev: This is taking
longer to build
than I estimated…
Initiate Research Design Build
Biz: Our
Design
competitor just
released a much
better product….
Build
Research
Deploy
Test
Heroics
Muddling
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

29. Reality Grand
Vision
Dev: This is taking
longer to build
than I estimated…
Initiate Research Design Build
Biz: Our
Dev: Saving changes is
Design
competitor just
taking 15-20 minutes(!)
released a much
better product….
Build
Research
Deploy
Test
Heroics
Muddling
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

30. Reality Grand
Vision
Dev: This is taking
longer to build
than I estimated…
Initiate Research Design Build
Biz: Our
Dev: Saving changes is
Design
competitor just
taking 15-20 minutes(!)
released a much
better product….
I can’t hold her
Build together much
Research longer Captain!
Deploy
Test
Heroics
Muddling
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

31. Reality
A “waterfall” lifecycle, big up-front specifications,
estimates, and speculative plans applicable to
predictable manufacturing have been misapplied to
software projects, a domain of inventive, high-
change, high-novelty work.
– Craig Larman, Agile & Iterative Development: A Manager’s Guide
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

32. The Agile Response
Reacting to
• Planning for status quo
rather than real-world
turbulence.
• Dividing the team into
phases.
• Over-reliance on documents
as communication conduits.
• Waiting too long to confront
design with reality.
© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

33. One Change that Changes Everything
We need to
start building
Developers earlier…
Earliest Responsible Moment
Initiate Design Build Test Deploy
Research
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

34. Many Micro-Projects
Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy
Becomes
Timebox Ti
(Micro-project n) (I
Reflect,
Adjust
Working Software W
Timebox Timebox
Timebox
(Micro-project 1)
(Micro-project 2)
Foundation: Reflect,
Core Needs Adjust
Big Picture Working Software Working Software
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

35. Many Micro-Projects
Initiate Research Design Build Test Deploy
Grand
Becomes
Vision?
Timebox Ti
(Micro-project n) (I
Reflect,
Adjust
Working Software W
Timebox Timebox
Timebox
(Micro-project 1)
(Micro-project 2)
Foundation: Reflect,
Core Needs Adjust
Big Picture Working Software Working Software
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

36. A Process Narrative
Iteration 1
Phase Zero
Foundation:
Research Design Build
Core Needs
Big Picture
Iteration 2
Working Software
Research
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

37. A Process Narrative
Iteration 1: Top Priority vs Early Win?
Phase Zero
Foundation:
Research Design Build
Core Needs
Big Picture
Iteration 2
Working Software
Research
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

38. A Process Narrative
Researching Ahead Designing Ahead
Iteration 1: Top Priority vs Early Win?
Phase Zero
Foundation:
Research Design Build
Core Needs
Big Picture
Iteration 2
Working Software
Research
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

39. Re-Thinking Documents
Comprehensive vs Just Enough
© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

40. Asking a different question
Comprehensive
What is everything developers
need to know to build the whole
application?
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

41. Asking a different question
Comprehensive Just Enough
What is everything developers What is the minimum developers need
need to know to build the whole to know to build the next piece?
application?
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

42. Asking a different question
Comprehensive Just Enough
What is everything developers What is the minimum developers need
need to know to build the whole to know to build the next piece?
application?
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

43. Document Cost-Benefit
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

44. Document Cost-Benefit
Yes, you can keep doing
wireframes!
but…
Design the delta.
For conversation.
As a means, not an end.
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

45. Dissolving Us/Them
“That leak is on
their side of the
boat.”
Us Them
Design Build Test Deploy
Initiate Research
Documents Software
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

46. Dissolving Us/Them
“That leak is on
their side of the
boat.”
Us Them
Design Build Test Deploy
Initiate Research
Documents Software
vs
Research Design Build
Working Software
Design is Production is Design
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

47. The Smallest Biggest Step
Minimal change, maximum value.
© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

48. Get a Room
Sending an email vs Turning your head
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

49. Beware Agile
Ritual and
Orthodoxy
o Terminology fixation.
o Just going through the
motions.
o Intimidating to non-
technologists.
From Henrik Kniberg’s Blog at blog.crisp.se
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

50. One waterfall
Two waterfall
Three waterfall…

51. Step Zero:
You

52. PUSHING BACK
What’s not to like?
© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

53. © Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

54. © Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

55. The BigCorp
Factor
Deliverables
model based on
waterfall.
Big Deliverables a
security blanket
for execs.
One idea: shadow
agile.
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

56. We Do A Lot More Than Software
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

57. Sometimes Manufacturing Lines Make Sense
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

58. Looking Forward
Following, Leading, Evolving
© Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

59. Key Take-Aways
o Don’t Flip The
Methodology Switch
o Iterate the transition
o No Silver Bullet
o Participate in evolving
Agile
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009

60. Methodology Templates
Agile Coach Spikes
Extreme Programming
Backlogs
Scrum Story Cards Customer
Sprints
Product Owner Velocity
Standups
Refactoring
Burndown
Crystal Methods Feature-Driven
Development
Adaptive Software Development
Dynamic Systems Development
Lean Development
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

61. Methodology Templates
Agile Coach Spikes
Extreme Programming
Backlogs
Scrum Story Cards Customer
Sprints
Product Owner Velocity
Standups
Refactoring
Burndown
IX?
Crystal Methods Feature-Driven
Development
Adaptive Software Development
Dynamic Systems Development
Lean Development
Anders Ramsay, 2009 IA Summit

62. Thanks!
andersr@gmail.com
andersramsay.com
twitter: @andersr
© Anders Ramsay, IA Summit 2009