Hold on to Your Hats: The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Might Actually Be a Good Thing for Design
1. Hold on to Your Hats: The Scaled
Agile Framework (SAFe) Might
Actually Be a Good Thing for Design
Speakers: Jennifer Fabrizi & River Brandon of Travelers
2. Quick Housekeeping
• Control panel on the side of your screen if you
have any comments during the presentation
• Time at the end for Q&A
• Today’s webinar will be recorded for future
viewing
• All attendees will receive a copy of the
slides/recording
• Continue the discussion using #uzwebinar
Let’s make sure you’re all set up for the webinar!
4. Jen Fabrizi
Design Director, Strategy & Research
Travelers
River Brandon
Design Director, Design System Product Owner
Travelers
5. Jen Fabrizi
Design Director, Strategy & Research
Travelers
River Brandon
Design Director, Design System Product Owner
Travelers
DISCLAIMER: The opinions and views expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Travelers.
Not EXPERTS
22. FUNNEL RESEARCH ANALYSIS
PORTFOLIO
BACKLOG IMPLEMENTING DONE
PORTFOLIO KANBAN
WE HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT
FUNNEL ANALYSIS BACKLOG IMPLEMENTING VALIDATING DEPLOYING
PROGRAM KANBAN
DESIGN HAPPENS HERE!
26. FUNNEL RESEARCH ANALYSIS
PORTFOLIO
BACKLOG IMPLEMENTING DONE
PORTFOLIO KANBAN
EXPLORATION ENABLERS
• Support research and
prototyping to understand
user needs and explore
solution options
• Can be epics, features, or
stories
• Are managed through the
portfolio and program
Kanbans
FUNNEL RESEARCH ANALYSIS
PORTFOLIO
BACKLOG IMPLEMENTING DONE
PORTFOLIO KANBAN
FUNNEL ANALYSIS BACKLOG
IMPLEMENTIN
G VALIDATING DEPLOYING
PROGRAM KANBAN
27. BEHAVIORS & ATTITUDES
• Make it your job to learn SAFe
• Collaborate to define how much is
enough
• Listen, empathize, act
30. REQUIREMENTS ARCHITECTURE DESIGN BUILD TEST RELEASE MEASURE
REQ
UIRE
MEN
TS
ARC
HITE
CTU
RE
DESI
GN
BUIL
D
TEST
RELE
ASE
MEA
SUR
E
FASTER, WATERFALL!
#Tragile
REQ
UIRE
MEN
TS
ARC
HITE
CTU
RE
DESI
GN
BUIL
D
TEST
RELE
ASE
MEA
SUR
E
REQ
UIRE
MEN
TS
ARC
HITE
CTU
RE
DESI
GN
BUIL
D
TEST
RELE
ASE
MEA
SUR
E
#WaterScrumFall #WaterFail
59. Culture of shared
responsibility
Lean flow to
accelerate delivery
Recovery enables
low-risk releases
Automation of
continuous delivery
pipeline
Measure everything
SAFe DevOps
60. Culture of shared
responsibility
Lean flow to
accelerate delivery
The UX is
what we make
together
Recovery enables
low-risk releases
Automation of
continuous delivery
pipeline
Measure everything
SAFe DevOps
Design work
is part of making
the solution
Common design
toolchain and cycles of
activity
Resilient design
enables learning
and adjusting
UX OKRs
SAFe
DesignOps
62. Epic Owners Enterprise Arch
Lean Portfolio
Mgmt
DESIGN STAFFING
PORTFOLIO PROGRAM (RELEASE TRAIN) SCRUM TEAM
Product MgmtSys Arch
RTE
Product OwnerDev Team
Scrum Master
Design Strategy & Research
1+ PER PORTFOLIO
Design Lead and Researcher
1 EACH
Product/UI Designers
1 PER SCRUM TEAM*
DMO
Design Management Office
PEOPLE - PROCESS - TOOLS
63. Epic Owners Enterprise Arch
Lean Portfolio
Mgmt
PORTFOLIO PROGRAM (RELEASE TRAIN) SCRUM TEAM
Product MgmtSys Arch
RTE
Product OwnerDev Team
Scrum Master
#SpheresOfInfluence #YMMV
65. IN SUMMARY
• Embrace SAFe but don’t drink the KoolAid
• Some flaws with SAFe are inherent in the framework
• Some flaws with SAFe are because of a mismatch
between representations and intent
• Some flaws with SAFe are due to immaturity with the
framework and how it’s being used
68. Scaled Agile Framework
Scaled Agile Framework
Scaled Agile Incorporated
SAFe certification and training
Agile Methods
Agile Alliance
Lean UX
Lean UX Book
Lean UX and the SAFe PI Life Cycle
REFERENCES
L.A.F.A.B.L.E
Mountain Goat Software Blog
Design studio image
Courtesy of Dark Horse GmbH
Animated GIFs
https://giphy.com/