Software engineering has many complex methods, processes, tools, ideation and etc. which needs to function together to develop a product. The concept of Software Development Cycle thus solves the problem through different simpler rules and regulations which ultimately lead to the final product. There are different practices that take care of the start to end phases of product development. The methodologies that are used in product development are-
· Agile Software Methodology
· Lean Model
· Waterfall Model
· Spiral Model
· V-Model
· Kanban
· Scrum
· RUP
Following these methodologies need in depth knowledge about their value and concepts. You can learn these skills by taking different certification courses which can eventually add credentials like SAFe Advanced Scrum Master, Product Manager, etc.
What is UX Practices?
UX stands for User Experience which is basically the personal, internal experience that customers go through whenever using a product’s interface. UX is an iterative process with constant improvement after receiving feedback from the users. User Experience is the interaction and experiences that users share with the company about their products and services.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) defines UX as-
“A person’s perceptions and responses that result from the use or anticipated use of a product, system or service.”
A UX Designer designs, formulates, plans and changes the things that directly or indirectly affect the user experience. UX Designer works closely with the project managers and SAFe Program Consultant to give effective results.
Principles of UX Design
There are some common things that good User Experiences have-
· Focus on User needs
· Consistency
· Clear Hierarchy
· Context
· Controllability
· Accessibility
· Testing
· Efficiency
Why is UX design important?
Companies make products for customers/users to benefit them. If the user is unsatisfied with the product then there is no use of the product in the market. This is exactly why UX design is important for product teams. Using UX practices can help create valuable products and solve problems that a user faces.
Skills required for becoming an UX Designer
There are some applied skills that a student must possess. They can master those skills to pursue a career as a UX Designer. The skills are-
· Thorough Research- UX designers have to know what the audience wants for which one has to do extensive research about the previous prototypes or already available products.
· Wire framing- In plain language a Wireframe is a blueprint of an interface for each screen that shows how something works.
· Prototyping- Prototypes are initial sample products made for testing purpose. So, prototyping the design is one of the skills.
· Proficiency in Visual Communication- In today’s time all the design work is mostly done through software programming and so it is highly graphic in nature. So, proficiency in visual communication is required.
· Information Architecture- This is basically organizing the information you have fetched through research.
Apart from the mentioned applied skills there are some soft skills as well that UX Professionals need-
· Empathy
· Curiosity
· Collaboration
· Communication
What is Agile Development Process?
One of the most common and popular Software Development model is Agile Development Process. This is an iterative process that divides the complex scope of work into smaller frames for increasing the efficiency of the process. There are many different methods that implement the Agile values in the process to attain the set goals. They are-
· Scrum
· XP or Extreme Programming
· DSDM or Dynamic Systems Development Method
· LSD or Lean Software Development
· ASD or Adaptive Software Development
In this methodology many professionals like Project Managers, team leaders and SAFe POPM work together with assigned roles and responsibilities to develop the product.
Principles of Agile Methodology
There are main 12 principles of Agile Methodology-
· Continuous delivery of products
· Change as per requirements
· Maintain Frequency
· Cooperation
· Motivation
· Communication
· Working Software
· Sustainable development
· Technical excellence
· Simplicity
· Self-organizing team
· Regular intervals
Phases of Agile Methodology
Agile Methodology consists of 6 phases-
· Concept
· Inception
· Iteration/Construction
· Testing
· Production
· Review
UX Practices used with Agile
To fit UX practices of research, ideation, prototyping, user testing and iteration into Agile Development Model is a real struggle. However, over the time a few ways have been formulated for integration-
· Having a Sprint Zero before the first Sprint
· The designer has to be in sync
· Involve developers and SAFe POPM
· Iteration
· Research must be lightweight and meticulous
· Becoming proactive
Conclusion
UX Practices focus mainly on user satisfaction and accordingly designs or makes changes all along. Agile also involves the clients in the process but the main focus is to deliver a good quality product through efficient use of resources. Collaboration of these two practices together is definitely a tough task as both have their own set of rules and regulations. Here, the role of the UX Designer and SAFe Advanced Scrum Master becomes important as they have to maintain the frequency and efficiency of the work while mixing these two.
FAQs
1. What are the best UX Practices?
Some of the best UX Practices that a designer should be familiar with are-
· User Experience is not User Interface
· Know your target audience
· Testing with real users is essential
· Design for short durations
· UX Designs are flexible
· Prototyping is important
· Do not copy paste
· Simplicity is the key
· User accessibility
· Prevention and eradication of errors
· Accept all kinds of feed backs
2. Do you need to know coding for career in UX Practices?
No, you do not need to be a coder to build a career in UX Designing. But, having knowledge about coding comes handy in this field.
3. Is UX part of Agile?
UX is not a part of Agile Methodology. It is a part of designing but at times both the practices are integrated for product development.
About Advance Agility
We, at Advance Agility, are the new-age Agile Coaching, Consulting and IT services company. We enable end-to-end Digital Transformation. Agile execution is integral to our being. We are doing SAFe implementation with small, medium and large organization across the globe. Our vision is to be the leading Agile execution player globally. To keep adding value at every process stage. We are on a mission to empower our clients, move from concept to cash in the shortest sustainable lead time by adopting human centric approach to business agility. Embracing the change is in our DNA. Things that keep us apart are Quicker and Seamless execution with End-to-end gamut of services. Our Global presence and Stellar Track Record give us an edge over our competitor.
Connect with us at advanceagility.com to learn about SAFe and SAFe Implementation. We provide various SAFe certification courses along with DevOps, Scrum, Agile Coaching and more trainings. Write to us at contact@advanceagilty.com for any agile training or consulting needs. We are always looking for competent agile trainers as well. So if you are a good trainer or want to become one, do get in touch with us to that we can learn, grow and
achieve together.
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