My presentation from Webexpo Prague 2012 on agile management in online agences. People often talk about agile programming or the agile approach. But I haven’t heard about many online agencies that actually implemented it. Well I didn’t think it was possible either. But my visit to Silicon Valley changed my mind. My colleague and me were invited to visit a well-known interaction design agency ZURB. For many hours, we talked with the ZURBians about how they approach the projects. They divide employees into little agile teams. Every team member is with the project from the very beginning until the handover. Also, we have visited companies like Citrix where they built an agile team of 90 designers in just three years. Agile approach rules the world and for a reason. After we came back from the valley we divided the company into teams with three members and canceled account management. Suddenly all the problems with communication between clients and developers disappeared. Employees are much happier because they get to do different types of work thoroughout the project. Projects are on time. It’s much easier for the team to organize itself. Team members can work on-site or in café.

1. Michal Blažej
@michalblazej
www.lbstudio.sk

2. Who is an
account
manager ?

3. “Interný hajzel,
ktorý ľudí pushuje.”
“An asshole, that
hustles the team.”

4. RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
“An asshole, that
hustles the team.”

5. RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
handles resources, production capacity,
task assigment, project timeline

6. “Rieši kakanice s
klientom, kým sa
rozmyslí.”
“Resolves issues with client
until he makes up his mind.”

7. CLIENT
COMMUNICATION
“Resolves issues with client
until he makes up his mind”

8. CLIENT
COMMUNICATION
task definition, phone calls,
instant email replies, being pretty

9. FINANCE
price quote, keeping the budget

10. ACCOUNT
I MANAGERS

11. DEADLINES NOT MET

12. DEADLINES NOT MET
CLIENT EXPECTATIONS
NOT MET

13. DEADLINES NOT MET
CLIENT EXPECTATIONS
NOT MET
DEMOTIVATED TEAM

14. Who is
responsible ?

15. DEADLINES NOT MET
resource management

16. CLIENT EXPECTATIONS
NOT MET
depts: the creatives & the craftsmen

17. DEMOTIVATED TEAM
team not in contact w/ the client

18. Is there
a solution ?

19. 4 hrs
fly to SFO meet ZURB learn

20. designer coder analyst

23. ✓ Photoshop ✓ Photoshop ✓ Photoshop
✓ HTML, CSS, JS ✓ HTML, CSS, JS ✓ HTML, CSS, JS
✓ HE, ER ✓ HE, ER ✓ HE, ER

24. WEEKLY PLAN

25. DAILY STAND UP

26. ONLINE TOOLS

28. project

29. So...
what ?

30. THE WINS
clients get what they want
self-managed team is less hustled
diverse tasks are more fun
and

31. THE WINS
clients get what they want
self-managed team is less hustled
diverse tasks is more fun
and
you’ll craft GREAT PRODUCTS

32. How to
get there ?

33. THE TEAM

34. THE TEAM
is a problem

35. THE TEAM
...create it!

36. THE TEAM
soft skills
self-management
well rounded
budget manager / bizdev / sales

37. Does it
work ?

38. production - design - strategy - technology

39. AND OTHERS
ZURB
Metalab
Clearleft
...
Google
Citrix

40. Easy
as pie.