UX and Agile are two up-and-coming practices many businesses are using to get their software to market faster but are they working well together? Does the sprint and iteration process mesh well with UX research and design practices? This presentation will answer the question: Do UX and Agile create harmony or chaos? It hasn’t been easy but at our company we’ve achieved harmony by learning what works and what doesn’t. Learn how we make UX and Agile work together.

1. UX and Agile:
10 Ways to Create Harmony
Chris Wagner
Senior UX Designer
cwagner@scottrade.com
@chr1s_wagner

2. In music, it is the simultaneous
combination of tones, especially
when blended into chords
pleasing to the ear
What is harmony?

3. Collaborating to achieve a
mutually beneficial result that
solves the client’s need
What is harmony
in relation to Agile?

4. Ten Ways
to Create Harmony
Between UX and Agile
10

5. DESIGN
Co-location: It does
matter where I sit!
1

6. RESEARCH
Shorten the study
planning time
2

7. Traditional Waterfall Study Planning Timeline
Engage
Recruiter
Request
Client List
Study
Planning
Meeting
Study
Planning
Meeting
Engage
Recruiter
Create
Test Plan
Create
Test Plan
Conduct
Study
Conduct
Study
Analysis
and
Report
Creation
Analysis
and
Report
Creation
Report
Presentation
Report
Presentation
2 Weeks 48 Hours
4 Weeks 3 Weeks
Agile Study Planning Timeline

8. Agile Study Planning Timeline
Traditional Waterfall Study Planning Timeline
2 Weeks
7 Weeks

9. DESIGN
Schedule UX before
Iteration 0
3

10. The Role of UX in Scottrade’s Agile Projects
Pre-Project Activation (1-6 months)
User research, journey mapping
Create early design concepts
Interactive design and usability testing of concepts
Iteration 0
Bring research into persona creation process
Help document personas
Designing for Iteration 1 (if not done during pre-project activation)
Designing for Iteration 2
Designing for Iteration 3
Designing for the first iteration of the next release
Coding for Iteration 1
Coding for Iteration 2
Coding for Iteration 3
Client Usability Study
• Test developed code for the release
• Test prototypes for upcoming iterations
• Conduct user research for future iterations
• Provide key findings email within 24 hours, and detailed report later if needed
Release
Engage UX
Researcher
Engage UX
Researcher
Engage UX
Researcher

11. RESEARCH
Have a pre-determined
list of participants
4

12. Engage
Recruiter
Study
Planning
Meeting
Create
Test Plan
Conduct
Study
Analysis
and
Report
Creation
Report
Presentation
2 Weeks 48 Hours
Agile Study Planning Timeline

13. DESIGN
Make UX a dedicated
part of the team
5

15. RESEARCH
Report turn-around time
and style – quick and lean!
6

17. DESIGN
Don’t forget
visual design!
7

18. RESEARCH
Prioritize usability issues8

20. DESIGN
Use real
(at least plausible)
content
9

23. No Yes

24. RESEARCH
Track UX
recommendations
throughout the
Agile process
10

26. 10 Ways to Achieve Harmony
DESIGN RESEARCH
Co-location: It does matter
where I sit!
1 Shorten the study planning time2
5
Make UX a dedicated part
of the team
3 Schedule UX before Iteration 0
7 Don’t forget visual design!
9 Use real (at least plausible)
content
4 Recruiting for testing
6
Report turn-around time and
style – quick and lean!
8 Prioritize usability issues
10
Track UX recommendations
throughout the Agile process

27. Thank you
Chris Wagner
cwagner@scottrade.com
@chr1s_wagner
Scottrade® Advisor Services is a division of Scottrade, Inc.
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