Design Spikes & Dual Track
Agile
… the path of the agile design warrior
A team of 40: Designers, UX Developers, Researchers, Innovation
Catalysts
Also a Certified Scrum Master
This presentation is for designers
on agile teams, fighting the good
fight every day
“Our highest priority
is to satisfy the
customer through
early and continuous
delivery of valuable
software.”
Through speed and
iteration, we can take
on big issues.
Design Incrementally,
and deliver value with
each move.
A little image that’s caused some big problems...
Thanks, Henrik Kniberg!
When the student is ready, the master appears
What are “Spikes” in Agile?
In agile software development, a spike is a story that cannot be estimated until a
development team runs a timeboxed investigation. The output of a spike is an
estimate for the original story.
I think I’m getting this...
What are “Spikes” in Agile?
In agile software development, a spike is a story that cannot be estimated until a
development team runs a timeboxed investigation. The output of a spike is an
estimate for the original story.
I totally got this!
Design Spike 1.0
Ow.
Agile fail,
bro!!
Design Spike 2.0
What about Functional Spikes?
A Functional Spike is used whenever there is uncertainty with how the user might
interact with the system. Functional spikes are often best evaluated through some
level of prototyping, whether it be user interface mock-ups, hardware
prototypes, wireframes, page flows, or other techniques suited to elicit feedback
from the customer or stakeholders.
Design Spikes are simply a type of Functional Spike
Keep it simple. Your spike can include acceptance criteria that requires
stakeholder review, it can include user research criteria, such as task
completion rates, and it can include anything required to explore an open
question or hypothesis. Best of all, it doesn’t have to wreck your sprints.
Where have we used this?
Design Spikes are the way of
no way...
“Real combat is spontaneous. A
martial artist cannot predict it, but only
react to it, and a good martial artist
should be like water — move fluidly
without hesitation.”
Design Sprints Aren’t Good Enough.
WHAT DID
YOU JUST
SAY?
Why Design Sprints aren’t enough
● Prescriptive Format
● Velocity Impact
● Disruptive in Iterations​
● Not Sustainable
No problem.
Use them
inside of your
Design Spikes.
A Design Spike
is kind of the
perfect place
for a Design
Sprint to live.
Chill out.
But I -like-
Design
Sprints.
But what about larger efforts at the enterprise?
Product Owner UX Lead Dev Lead
Now it’s your turn.
Questions?

Design Spikes for the Dual-Track Agile Process

  • 1.
    Design Spikes &Dual Track Agile … the path of the agile design warrior
  • 3.
    A team of40: Designers, UX Developers, Researchers, Innovation Catalysts
  • 4.
    Also a CertifiedScrum Master
  • 5.
    This presentation isfor designers on agile teams, fighting the good fight every day
  • 6.
    “Our highest priority isto satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.” Through speed and iteration, we can take on big issues. Design Incrementally, and deliver value with each move.
  • 7.
    A little imagethat’s caused some big problems... Thanks, Henrik Kniberg!
  • 8.
    When the studentis ready, the master appears
  • 9.
    What are “Spikes”in Agile? In agile software development, a spike is a story that cannot be estimated until a development team runs a timeboxed investigation. The output of a spike is an estimate for the original story.
  • 10.
    I think I’mgetting this...
  • 11.
    What are “Spikes”in Agile? In agile software development, a spike is a story that cannot be estimated until a development team runs a timeboxed investigation. The output of a spike is an estimate for the original story.
  • 12.
  • 13.
  • 14.
  • 15.
  • 16.
    What about FunctionalSpikes? A Functional Spike is used whenever there is uncertainty with how the user might interact with the system. Functional spikes are often best evaluated through some level of prototyping, whether it be user interface mock-ups, hardware prototypes, wireframes, page flows, or other techniques suited to elicit feedback from the customer or stakeholders. Design Spikes are simply a type of Functional Spike Keep it simple. Your spike can include acceptance criteria that requires stakeholder review, it can include user research criteria, such as task completion rates, and it can include anything required to explore an open question or hypothesis. Best of all, it doesn’t have to wreck your sprints.
  • 17.
    Where have weused this?
  • 18.
    Design Spikes arethe way of no way... “Real combat is spontaneous. A martial artist cannot predict it, but only react to it, and a good martial artist should be like water — move fluidly without hesitation.”
  • 19.
    Design Sprints Aren’tGood Enough. WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?
  • 20.
    Why Design Sprintsaren’t enough ● Prescriptive Format ● Velocity Impact ● Disruptive in Iterations​ ● Not Sustainable
  • 21.
    No problem. Use them insideof your Design Spikes. A Design Spike is kind of the perfect place for a Design Sprint to live. Chill out. But I -like- Design Sprints.
  • 22.
    But what aboutlarger efforts at the enterprise?
  • 25.
    Product Owner UXLead Dev Lead
  • 27.
  • 28.