Design For Agile: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
The Agile approach emerged when conventional product development processes were too slow, rigid and laborious to keep up with business and market needs. Over time, Agile grew wildly popular and fragmented into many different methodologies, and as a result, Agile processes vary widely from company to company. Moreover, a glut of consulting firms and certification programs have further muddied the waters when it comes to defining—or even describing—what Agile is.
Maybe you’re a designer who wants to learn how to work well in an Agile team. Or maybe you facilitate an Agile process and you want to learn how to integrate UX with it effectively. Or, maybe you work in a tech role on cross-functional projects, or perhaps, you’ve had bad experiences working with teams that called themselves Agile.
Whichever the case, you’ll need to know which Agile-oriented team structures can create the best environments for design, and how you can integrate design into various Agile variations. In doing so, you’ll also encounter anti-patterns that can make Agile very difficult, and how you can avoid them to create a healthier, happier product development process.
In this Master Class, Laura Klein will show you:
- Why companies don’t always reap the expected benefits from their big Agile transformations
- Common anti-patterns in Agile, how to avoid them, and how to correct them
- Related methodologies like Lean Startup, Kanban, Extreme Programming—and how they can integrate with UX processes
- How to adjust your design and research processes to fit comfortably with Agile environments
- Practical design techniques that you can use in most Agile variations
- Where Agile and UX deliverables differ from each other—and where they don’t
Through this Master Class, you’ll understand what Agile is supposed to be, and how to recognize when it isn’t working like it’s supposed to. You’ll connect this knowledge with familiar design and research processes, thus preparing yourself to work comfortably with a wide variety of product development teams and processes.
This Master Class is best suited for:
- Experienced designers who want to expand their skillset
- Anyone with a background in tech or product development
- Product Managers who wish to improve Agile processes
- Engineers and developers who want to learn how Agile projects can integrate with UX
Speaker
Laura fell in love with technology when she saw her first user research session over 20 years ago. Since then, she’s worked as an engineer, user experience designer, and product manager in Silicon Valley for companies of all sizes.
Laura has written two books for product managers, designers, and entrepreneurs, Build Better Products (Rosenfeld Media ’16) and UX for Lean Startups (O’Reilly Media ’13). She is a frequent speaker at tech conferences, including SXSW, Lean Startup Conference, and Mind the Product. Laura also hosts a podcast with Kate Rutter, called What Is Wrong With UX.
Laura is currently Principal at Users Know, a UX design consultancy, and a Senior Design Educator at Interaction Design Foundation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why are design skills so important right now?
Design skills are incredibly valuable for both you personally and for your company.
For you personally, design skills are important because:
Salaries for people who learn design are soaring, surpassing $200K in cities like San Francisco, with global job growth rates at 13%.
Many of your job competitors already possess design skills. When you enhance your design skills you can significantly elevate your personal brand and make you a more attractive candidate.
You learn skills that protect you from losing your job to AI.
You can ignite your passion through design and leverage it to make a meaningful impact.
For your company, design skills are important because:
Your design skills can help increase sales, keep customers loyal, and turn them into powerful advocates of your company. That’s because design is all about helping people reach their goals and meet their needs.
Companies that invest in design outperform the S&P 500 Index by a whopping 228%.
Design goes way beyond creating attractive visuals and aesthetics. When you possess design skills you’re equipped to revolutionize businesses, make technology more user-friendly, and innovate customer experiences and systems.
I’m not a designer. Why should I learn design and tech?
Design and tech skills can make you an indispensable asset to your company and open up career opportunities.
For example, if you’re in a field such as:
Marketing, Communication and HR
Software Development
Customer Service
Business
Psychology
Project Management
Architecture
Content Creation
Healthcare
Teaching
And other fields
Why can design skills make you valuable in all these jobs and industries?
That’s because design skills are incredibly valuable for both you personally and for your company.
For you personally, design skills are important because:
Salaries for people who learn design are soaring, surpassing $200K in cities like San Francisco, with global job growth rates at 13%.
Many of your job competitors already possess design skills. When you enhance your design skills you can significantly elevate your personal brand and make you a more attractive candidate.
You learn skills that protect you from losing your job to AI.
You can ignite your passion through design and leverage it to make a meaningful impact.
For your company, design skills are important because:
Your design skills can help increase sales, keep customers loyal, and turn them into powerful advocates of your company. That’s because design is all about helping people reach their goals and meet their needs.
Companies that invest in design outperform the S&P 500 Index by a whopping 228%.
Design goes way beyond creating attractive visuals and aesthetics. When you possess design skills you’re equipped to revolutionize businesses, make technology more user-friendly, and innovate customer experiences and systems.
How can design skills protect me from losing my job to AI?
AI is killing jobs in all industries. Humanity has never faced such a powerful force, developing at an exponential speed.
You can protect yourself by learning design: You’ll use the very fabric of being human, like empathy and intuition. AI never can never replace that. These skills are timeless and will stay with you forever.
Design is centered on human needs and goals. That’s why you can protect your future with the power of human-centered design. Mastering these skills can shield you from AI-driven disruptions.
We’ll even teach you how to use AI as your career helper, not your terminator.
Do I need any prior experience in design or tech?
Good news!
You don’t need any prerequisites or prior experience in design or tech. We’ve crafted the learning experience to ensure your success and real career outcomes, regardless of your age or background.
Will I receive a Certificate?
Yes! After you finish, you’ll receive an industry-recognized IxDF Certificate.
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We can help you in several ways.
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I just signed up for a live Master Class. What's next?
I just signed up for a live Master Class. What's next?
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Absolutely!
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A few days later, the on-demand Master Class will show up on your private profile page if you’re an IxDF member. If you’re not a member, you’ll receive your recording by email.
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What if I can’t attend a live Master Class?
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When you sign up for the live Master Class, you’ll automatically receive the link to the recording a few hours after the live event ends.
A few days later, the on-demand Master Class will show up on your private profile page if you’re an IxDF member. If you’re not a member, you’ll receive your recording by email.
You can enjoy your Master Class on-demand at any time, anywhere. Watch it as many times as you want.
What if I have more questions?
What if I have more questions?
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Reach out to us at hello@interaction-design.org or use the online contact form.