The document discusses the agile approach to developing products that better engage audiences. It provides a case study of an app created by Affinity Bridge and PeaceGeeks to help immigrants and refugees settle in British Columbia. An iterative process was used, testing assumptions with real audience members early and often to validate understanding of audience needs. This approach found that the audience did not want a personalized checklist as assumed, but a simpler directory app, saving development costs by not building an unnecessary feature. In summary, the agile process results in better, more cost-effective products by involving audiences throughout development to accurately understand their needs.

1. The agile approach to
creating better
audience engagement
Presented by Mack Hardy,
CEO Affinity Bridge

2. CASE STUDY:
ARRIVAL ADVISOR
● Affinity Bridge partnered with
PeaceGeeks to create an app to
help immigrants and refugees
settle in BC
● The challenge: a wide variety of
stakeholders, and a complex
audience with varying degrees
of trauma, literacy and technical
skills.

3. 3
● What groups or individuals have
a vested interest in or influence
over what you’re doing?
● Who will be using your
website/app?
● Try to be detailed and specific
about your audience
TEST YOUR ASSUMPTIONS
ON REAL AUDIENCE
MEMBERS

4. ● An iterative (agile) approach
means testing your concept at
regular intervals throughout the
project, and adjusting course
along the way
● The earlier the testing, the less
time spent moving in the wrong
direction
VALIDATE EARLY AND
OFTEN

5. 5
● It’s impossible to see your own
product objectively.
● You’re almost guaranteed to
find that at least some of your
assumptions were wrong.
● Remember that the app or
website you’re creating is not
for you – it’s for your audience.
BE WILLING TO LET GO OF
YOUR PRECONCEPTIONS
What we thought our audience wanted:
a personalized checklist, but we discovered it
was far too complex

6. ● Significant cost savings by not
spending development time on
a concept that isn’t going to
work for the audience.
● There’s value in building a
minimum viable product.
COST BENEFITS OF THE
AGILE APPROACH
What our audience actually wanted:
a simplified app that functions more like
a directory with bookmark functionality.

7. ● Taking an iterative / agile
approach results in a much better,
more cost effective product.
● Involving audiences in the
planning stages creates more
engaging results.
TO SUMMARIZE