Beyond Agile�Delivery

@BoBMarvan

�Agile is Dead

16. 10. 2024

BoB Marvan = 20+ years in digital

What to expect

• INTRO - Why & How�
• CASE STUDY - A real life case of the small Discovery project delivered�within a couple weeks and with a surprising ending�
• TAKEAWAYS

INTRO

Crucial Question: How to improve Agile Delivery?

Question: What happen, when there is a wrong input?

Question: What happen, when there is a wrong input?

Answer: There is wrong output poo too!

So what options do we have to fix this pretty stable situation?

Of course you can put more pressure on agile itself…

OR you can try to FIX the INPUT!

Fix the inputs to got ultimately better results

HOW: Do the Discovery first

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HOW: Avoid long loops at the beginning…

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HOW: Make the shortcuts to Users

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The Discovery bridges the gap

The Discovery bridges the gap between strategic intent…�… and the better tactical brief for delivery - both: Design and Development.�

• After a proper Discovery we should know much better what to do and why,
• OR what’s missing,
• OR what not to do at all.

Strategic Intention = Problem to be solved / Challenge to be met…�

In my experience it's usually one or two strategic sentences:

• We should do this…
• Let’s investigate that…
• The regulator wants us to... or we will be fined!
• Improve how…
• Fix it …
• Marketing sees the market gap / niche…

THE CASE

The Case:�Avast Secure Browser

The Case: Avast Secure Browser

• The problem is that out of XX million installs�only X million are active.�
• Intention: We need to increase the total number of active consumers �and therefore search revenue.�
• Hypothesis: Providing users with Side panel with useful features like other browsers got (e.g. AI chat) + something extra but secret, could help.�
• Questions: What should the features be�and how should they be presented?

The Case: Gen People - the Team of 5

• Product Manager: Ben Wadors (located in the U.S.)
• UX Designer: Barbora Suchanová
• UX Researcher: Nina Zemanová
• CTO advisor: Petr Chytil
• Discovery Manager: BoB Marvan

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The Case: Understand

• Product = Avast Secure Browser
• From 0 to 1 = New Side Panel
• Closed (solve these problems) = Low number of active users
• Unlimited = Suggest any feature which could help
• Wide and Shallow = More features, IA, UI

Planning the Discovery: Principles over Strict Rules

• Understand the Situation first and capture it in the Brief
• Alternate Divergent/Convergent approach
• Divide and rule: Individual/Team work
• Forced Collaboration/Co-creation
• Space for Testing and Iterations
• Keep the Pace for staying Focused
• Be Human Centered (not only User Centered), Designer included!!
• Stay Process Driven - Planned but Flexible
• Aim for Tangible Outputs
• Estimate Outcomes
• Overall Transparency

The Case: Planning - Double Diamond

Source: productboard.com/blog/double-diamond-framework-product-management/

Preparation and Planning

Activities

• Alignment on the Goals for Discovery and the Brief:
• Suggest what Functions in the Side Panel are „must have“ for MVP to satisfy the users
• Design the best UI for a great UX.

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Output

Plan of specific activities along the timeline and in accordance with the Double Diamond framework.

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Two different deadlines:

1. Project deadline
2. Discovery deadline

Execution

Discover

Goal

Understand user needs and so expand the set of potential functionalities for Side Panel.

Activities

• Desk Research
• Competitors Analysis
• #AI generated suggestions
• Synthesis of learnings

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Output

• Expanded list of Functions potentially to be added to Side Panel

Discover

Activities

• Desk Research
• Competitors Analysis
• #AI generated suggestions
• Synthesis of learnings

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Output

• Expanded list of Functions potentially to be added to Side Panel

Define

Goal

Prioritize user needs and create a short list of Functions suggested to add into the Side Panel MVP.

Activities

• Research study: Card sorting and Thinking aloud protocol over list of Potential Functions for Side Panel (N=85)
• Workshop for:
• Digest the results of the Research study
• Selection of final list of functions
• Ideas on UI (see next slide)

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Output

• Report from the Research study
• Shortlist of functions suggested for Side view

Define

Activities

• Research study: Card sorting and Thinking aloud protocol over list of Potential Functions for Side Panel (N=85)
• Workshop for:
• Digest the results of the Research study
• Selection of final list of functions
• Ideas on UI (see next slide)

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Output

• Report from the Research study
• Shortlist of functions suggested for Side view

Develop

Goal

Prepare variants of UI of Side Panel for user test

Activities

• Ideate on different options / variants of Information Architecture and UI for selected functions

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Output

• Definition of 3 different approaches to UI
• Lo-Fi sketches

Develop

Activities

• Ideate on different options / variants of Information Architecture and UI for selected functions

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Output

• Definition of 3 different approaches to UI
• Lo-Fi sketches

Deliver

Goal

Select which variant is the best and provide design suggestions how to improve it

Activities

• Pixel perfect designs of 3 variants
• Prepare Research questions for unmoderated testing
• Execute and evaluate Unmoderated testing (N=18)
• #AI generated summary of findings
• Select winning variant and provide�design suggestion how to improve it

Deliver

Activities

• Pixel perfect designs of 3 variants
• Prepare Research questions for unmoderated testing
• Execute and evaluate Unmoderated testing (N=18)
• #AI generated summary of findings
• Select winning variant and provide�design suggestion how to improve it

The Case: Outputs

• List of Functions for MVP
• Three variants of UI
• Results of usability testing
• Recommendations for final design
• 4th version of the UI design

Note:�We intentionally did not test�the 4th version of the UI.

The Case: Outcomes

We‘ve moved on from�initial assumptions (left) …

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… to design based�on user needs (right) …

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… in one month.

(May 22nd - June 23rd 2023)

The Case: Feedback from the Product Owner

“I thoroughly enjoyed the process to validate what should & should not be included�in the initial V1 release but also what the initial design for the Side Panel should be.��These two studies were vital & truly helped me in making key product decisions.��I had some assumptions & initial ideas which were proven wrong & I love that we were able�to identify that prior to launch, helping us launch the initial test with our best foot forward.”

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The Case: Aftermatch

I’m not working for Gen anymore…

The Case: Aftermatch

• 40%
• 10%
• 1%

The Case: Aftermatch

～40% users interact with the Side panel :)�

～10% users open AI chat :)�

～1% users interact with AI chat :(

TAKEAWAYS

The Value of Discovery

• Brings better understanding of the challenge / problem / situation / context…�Soon enough!�
• Process force you to make�conscious decisions�
• Cheap and fast�test of potential solutions

The Limits of Discovery

• It can’t identify the marketing gaps - that should be one of potential inputs of product design discovery phase not output of it.�
• Project management - lack of people, time, focus…�
• Digital tools vs. Off-line collaboration - it’s better to “be digital” but still talk to each other in person.

Set it up as an independent track

Set it up as an independent track

Set it up as an independent track

But there is a catch!

But there is a catch!

Takeaways

• Great Discovery Formula = Goal + Driver + Plan + Multidisciplinary team + Pace.�
• As always: Such Discovery in pace is not an universal solution.�
• It's possible to run a pretty intense and extensive Discovery within 4-6 weeks.�
• It can't overcome the lack of strategy.�
• It can clarify a lot of things before the critical moments�of (expensive) delivery and align the team around it.

Any help needed?

@BoBMarvan