Exchange of Ideas: Agile/XP and User Experience
with Adrian Williamson
12thNov '08
About the event
The first of an annual series of expert panels to exchange ideas by exploring recent approaches that aim to ensure better and more cost-effective systems development. Two leading Scottish practitioners, Jim Williams and Adrian Williamson, each present a synopsis of the methods they use to achieve results. We then invite questions from the floor for each of them. This will contrast the two approaches, find their common roots, tease out the differences and give attendees a greater understanding of what methods to deploy and when.
The Agile Manifesto prioritises "Individuals and interactions over processes and tools; Working software over comprehensive documentation; Customer collaboration over contract negotiation; Responding to change over following a plan". XP (eXtreme Programming) takes best practice in software engineering to extremes and values "Communication, Simplicity, Feedback, Courage and Respect", in order to achieve an Agile process that is responsive to customer needs while creating software of higher quality.
User Experience approaches draw on ISO standards 9241 (Usability) and 13407 (Human-centred design) , which refer to "the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use." and "the active involvement of users and a clear understanding of user and task requirements; an appropriate allocation of function between users and technology; the iteration of design solutions; multi-disciplinary design."
Some find a tension between these two approaches, others see synergy, and yet more see each appropriate at different points in the lifecycle. What do you think?
More about the speaker(s)
Adrian Williamson is a people and technology specialist who has worked extensively in engineering, academia and the software industry. He is a Fellow of the BCS, Vice-chair of the Specialist Groups Executive Committee, and sits on Member Services Board and BCS Council. He has published widely in Human Computer Interaction and Information Systems, and most recently specialised in Business Process Management (BPM), Customer Relationship Management and Usability. He has worked for ciboodle (nee Graham Technology) and most recently HBOS on BPM/SOA software and platform development, and retains a focus on innovation, process and enterprise software.
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