Discussions

Agile UX – (how) can we make it work?

Session Title

Agile UX – (how) can we make it work?

Presenter

Johanna Kollmann

Session Type: Discussion

It’s becoming more and more important for UX practitioners to understand how UX and its techniques can be applied in an agile context. This session provides a much-needed opportunity for UX designers to share experiences, discuss ideas and approaches, and to reflect on what agile means for the interaction design community.

Issues to discuss include:
- What does Agile mean to you?
- What do you love about it, and what do you struggle with?
- Are patterns like working a sprint ahead really working out for us?
- What skills do we need to be an active participant on an agile project?
- How can we adapt agile tools, eg the backlog, for our needs?
- Should we all transform ourselves into Product Owners, Scrum Masters, or Agile Coaches?

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet other agile UX people, share stories and experiences, and get ideas and advice. Results of the discussion will be recorded and shared online. Attendees will be encouraged to share tools and templates (e.g. the perfect user-centered backlog) online after the conference, to continue the discussion.

Biography

Johanna Kollmann started her career in User Experience at Siemens in 2004 and has since gained experience in both in-house and agency-side roles. After working at London-based consultancy Flow Interactive, she is now a User Experience Manager at Vodafone. Her background is in Information Design (FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences Graz) and HCI (University College London).

Johanna’s interest in group dynamics and games originates in her volunteer work. She has ten years experience in pedagogics and coaching and has completed trainings in adventure education.

Johanna is a committee member of the UPA’s UK chapter, recently organised UXCamp London and presented her thoughts on Agile and UX at the Agile 2009 conference in Chicago.