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Agile Prototyping in Academia

Agile Prototyping in Academia. David F. Flanders JISC Programme Manager, nee Project Manager Twitter = dfflanders. So how is this going to work?. Objectives of 30 min talk (2X15min):.

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Agile Prototyping in Academia

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  1. Agile Prototyping in Academia David F. Flanders JISC Programme Manager, nee Project Manager Twitter = dfflanders

  2. So how is this going to work?

  3. Objectives of 30 min talk (2X15min): • To introduce the management methodology of Agile Prototyping as fundamental to Academia’s remit to the end user. • To go over the Agile Manifesto & its Principles so as to highlight it as a framework of hooks by which real pragmatic human advice can be hung. • To demonstrate how the Agile principles (theories) can be turned into working practices (pragmatics) for a small project team (working in Academia) <- according to my previous experience. * To learn from you on how to do Agile better!

  4. Starter for ten: are we (Unis) in an innovation recession? Built technologies for the end user.

  5. Agile

  6. The Agile Manifesto, c.2001 Origins: • Business sector = customer/client focused • Middle aged developer ‘hippies’: “Dev is NOT enterprise engineering”. • S/W should be more intuitive to the human psyche...Web 2.0? • Manifesto x4 = PinUp Principles x12 = Hooks

  7. The Agile Manifesto: Individuals and interactions  over processes and tools* Working software  over comprehensive documentation*  Customer collaboration over contract negotiation* Responding to change over following a plan* * = That is, while there is value in the items on the bottom, we value the items on the top more.

  8. Agile Principles...into Practice. A.) Organising Users: 1.) Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. 2.) Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's users competitive advantage. 3.) Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale. 4.) Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility. 5.) Working software is the primary measure of progress. 6.) Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely. B.) Organising Team: 7.) Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done. 8.) The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation. 9.) The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams. 10.) Business people user representatives (stakeholders) and developers must work together daily throughout the project. 11.) At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behaviour accordingly. 12.) Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.

  9. AGILE PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICES (1-6) PART I:PRINCIPLES FOR ORGANISING YOUR USERS

  10. No. 1.) Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer end user through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. USER-CASES Q: Do you have real users on hand? • User Groups!!! • Über Users • UXer • UserPersonas (Named) <- user artefacts • Provide a feedback loop • Feedback button • Phone

  11. No. 2.) Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile harnesses change for the user’s advantage. STORYBOARDS Q: What is the setting in which your user lives? • After user F2F, draw up storyboards to describe user context • Peel situational onion • Storyboards are modular <- humans change!!! • Sticky-notes should change as often as users change. • User is always right: don’t impose your world view!!!

  12. No.3 Deliver working s/w frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, w/ a preference to the shorter timescale. WIREFRAMES Q: Is the psyche of your user on tap (Face2Screen)? • What is the overall flow of the app from window to window (10K+ft above) • One big window or multiple? • Wizard or tab, etc. • What does the box & button mean to the user? • On call ÜberUser, UXer • Use Cases + Storyboards => Wireframe (CartoonBoxes)

  13. No.4 Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility. PAPER-PROTOYPING Q: how long does it take you to produce a version? • Paper Prototyping is cheaper than writing code. • Nothing more valuable than putting interfaces in front of users. • Whiteboard projection • Screen-Cast-Crowd-Sourcing (Drupal)

  14. No.5 Working software is the primary measure of progress. WORK-PACKAGES Q: Are your WPs granularly timeboxed? • Consider = could another dev pick it up and develop it? • Abandon = How do you recognise FAILs and WINs? • Adopt = Can your user pick up the s/w and use it without your help? 1-3 weeks total (no more!)

  15. No.6 Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely. MERITOCRACY Q: How are you talking about your s/w to others who are using it? • Agile + Community = Able to do more. • Agile should enable a team to juggle more work. • JISC is community.

  16. Pause for discussion. At this time I would recommend a five minute open discussion take place. • Comments/questions are anonymous to me so please feel free to be candid. • Though, if someone could take on the role of scribe to type in the comments to twitter so I have a chance to respond as well? Otherwise please use this time to turn to your neighbour and ask them what they think thus far.

  17. AGILE PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICES (7-12) PART II:PRINCIPLES FOR ORGANISING YOUR TEAM

  18. No.7 Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environ & support they need, & trust them to get the job done. TEAM-FORMATION Q: Will the ppl you are working with help or get in the way? • Get right ppl on the bus and wrong ppl off the bus. • Team Hierarchy? Google doesn’t have PMs. • Innovation is achieved by bringing in new talent!

  19. No.8 - The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to & within a development team is F2F convo. RESOURCING Q: Where can you find team members you can’t afford? • Borrow your team from the institution (those who want to innovate)! • PMing is a group activity. Engage with a community! • How do you crowdsource?

  20. No.9 The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams. UXer PM TEAM-ROLES Q: Do you know thy team!? • PM / PO • Admin / PM • UXer • Dev (front/back) • Consultants (in the community) are good. • Scratch other projects back (barter!) Want Help? PO Dev Dev

  21. No.10 Business people users (representatives/stakeholders) & developers must work together daily throughout the project. SETTING Q: Where is the stage for this play? • War room meetings. • Talking Wall <userVoice> • Artefacts: Storyboard, Wireframe, Prototypes... • Point of discussion to keep all engaged. • Users • Team • Stakeholders

  22. No.11 - At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes & adjusts its behaviour accordingly. 24 hours WPs 2-3 weeks version release SCRUM Q: How do you enable change to occur? • Daily “Stand-Ups” (3Xsentences) • Reflection mtg every 2-3 weeks to review wall artefacts (praxis) • Priority log of sprints (WPs) to achieve. • Your project plan should be torn up / amended after the second/third iteration of SCRUM • Can’t do this w/ >3 x Ppl. artefacts

  23. No.12 Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential. SPRINTS Q: How do you achieve small completion wins? • Chunk work up into achievable WPs • YONWYK • Achievable = >2 weeks • Set difficulty rating 1-5 • If it is a sprint fail, it is a fail... No “but if...” • Don’t domino WPs (gaant waterfall bad!) -> burndown charts!? • Post WINS and FAILS <- you’ll save others/your time!!!

  24. The Agile Manifesto: Individuals and interactions  over processes and tools* Working software  over comprehensive documentation*  Stakeholder collaboration over remit/contract negotiation* Responding to change over following a plan* * = That is, while there is value in the items on the bottom, we value the items on the top more.

  25. What does Agile and Open development look like?

  26. Summary (Overall) Agile Cowboy Waterfall Scrum Unit Test RUP kanban Refactor SCM MSP Developer Oriented Manager Oriented XP RAD TDD 6σ PRINCE2 C O N T I N U U M True agile produces real products for real people & does it in quick short bursts that are comprehensible to all involved, especially the end user. User Oriented

  27. Conclusion: PoP

  28. Thanks David F. Flanders Twitter = twitter.com/dfflanders Blog = dfflanders.wordpress.com Open Notebook = code.google.com/p/jiscri License: Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 UK

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