User experience modelling for agile software development

Abstract

Agile software development is known to be a highly collaborative approach for rapid delivery of software that meets customer requirements. User experience is an extended view of the traditional usability in human-computer interaction. Agile software development and user experience design have evolved in two distinct disciplines with different focuses of design. Agile methods discourage up-front design and seek minimal documentation whilst user experience design is central to up-front design and advocates certain design artefacts in support of communication with developers. The aim of this research was to investigate whether the incorporation of user experience in agile software development would improve the quality and user experience of software products. This research study used a design science research methodology for creating, analysing and evaluating artefacts for improving the effectiveness of user experience design and usability of software artefacts. The research design was based on two conceptually different design approaches: current agile process (CAP) and enhanced agile process (EAP). Eight agile software professionals and one user experience designer were recruited from the industry to form two small agile teams, and undertook agile software product development based exclusively on one of the two conceptually different design approaches, CAP and EAP. Both teams used the same suite of specifications presented by a product owner. The progress of product development was assessed using four evaluation approaches: observation data comparison, debrief data comparison, individual system evaluation and comparative system evaluation. The results demonstrated that the agile software development team that followed the enhanced agile process had a greater user experience focus in the design. Moreover, the product artefacts were found to be richer in user experience. The theoretical and practical values of these findings are explored and presented in this thesis.

Date of Award	2014
Original language	English
Supervisor	Masoud MOHAMMADIAN (Supervisor) & John Campbell (Supervisor)