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Agile User Interaction Design Process

Evolving since the mid-1990s, Agile development minimizes risk by developing software in short iterations, each including requirements collection, design, coding, and testing. Agile emphasizes face-to-face communication and visual examples over written documents. Working software is the measure of progress.

Agile projects develop models rather than documents. In the flow diagram below, a high-level model is defined in task case card sorting. The paper prototype is a more explicit model and users can provide early feedback. What's more, visual models communicate to all stakeholders better than a document written in a particular 'lingo'.

Users belong to the design team, and provide input and reaction at every step. Agile allows frequent formal and ad hoc meetings among designers, programmers, product managers, and users. Agile's applied pattern depends on the styles and perspectives of participants. The process may evolve within a single project. The best information about the solution comes from the problem, rather than a preselected set of tools and approaches.

Agile has some resemblance to usage-centered design, which is an outgrowth of activity theory. Both model user tasks as use cases or task cases, and defer specific design until usage issues are clear.



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