Agile developer practices from a ux perspective

Agile Dev Practices From a UX Perspective

@andersramsay • @agileuxmeetup • #agileux


Why a talk on Agile Dev Practices?

@andersramsay • @agileuxmeetup • #agileux@andersramsay • @agileuxmeetup • #agileux


Pseudo Code

Test-Driven Development

Pair Programming

Refactoring/Technical Debt

Continuous Integration


Shoutout: @aviflombaum at @flatironschool

bit.ly/alien-sandwich-workshop


http://bit.ly/alien-sandwich-workshop


Let’s look at some alien sandwich instructions…


Writing Pseudo Code


Pseudocode is a natural language description of what a computer

program should do.


Make Sandwich

My Alien Sandwich Instructions…

https://gist.github.com/andersr/11004954



A more practical example





Some Benefits of Pseudo Code

A logic-based approach to writing user flows.

A coder/designer communication bridge.

Improved design coverage.


Pair Programming

@andersramsay • @agileuxmeetup • #agileux@andersramsay • @agileuxmeetup • #agileux


Pair Programming is just as much about being persuasive,

being a good listener, and letting go of ego, as it is about coding.


Pairing and Pair Programming

Cross-Functional Pairing: More about “What should we build?”

Pair Programming: More about “How do we build it?”

Writing Pseudo Code can enable pairing with a developer, particularly on writing tests and TDD.


Test-Driven Development


Test-Driven Development:Testing code, not users.


Cut two slices of bread and place on the plate 1. Grasp the Knife in a cutting grasp and hold it out above the table.2. Grasp the bread-loaf and place it on the table, such that it is directly below the knife.….

Test-Driven Development:Replacing traditional specs with “executable specs,” i.e. specs that talk back at you.


Oops, you didn’t grasp the bread-loaf.

Sorry, you’re not holding the knife in a cutting grasp.


Benefits of understanding TDD

An opportunity to write fewer traditional specs and more executable or test-driven specs.

Can help reduce churn, improve design coverage, and design/dev communication.

Likely to encourage developers to adopt TDD in general.


Refactoring and Technical Debt

Coding is “just” writing

Every coder will write different code, with better coders being more succinct, eloquent, etc.

Good coding is re-coding.

Coding software means writing for two audiences: binary aliens and analog humans.


–Kent Beck

“Make it Work.

Make it Good.

Make it Fast.”


Make it Work…Ship early/often, holding off on better/faster code (incurring technical debt)

only once you know you’ve built something valuable.


Make it Good. Make it Fast…

Refactor, Pay Down Technical Debt:Find ways to say the same thing in fewer or

clearer words, improving scalability, maintainability, reuse, stability, speed, etc.


Continuous Integration


Coding a large system is like having many novelists all writing the same novel at the same time.


Traditional Integration


Continuous Integration…and knowledge sharing.


Continuous Integration from a UX Perspective

“Continuous” is the game-changer.

Writing pseudo code, pairing, integrating your work through TDD, and other practices (eg Live Style Guides), are all ways to maintain a continuous working relationship with developers.


Thanks!

Agile developer practices from a ux perspective

Design

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