Have Extreme Programming and other “agile” processes eliminated “big design up front” (BDUF)?
Up-front design does not have to become a form of analysis paralysis. User role models and task models can be developed very quickly using ordinary index cards. Paper prototypes to inspect with users and to guide programmers are also easily developed from simple task models. In order to avoid major usability blunders and big problems downstream, a minimum of up-front analysis and design are required. We find that a navigation architecture and a user interface design scheme or “abstract style guide” are absolutely essential. Usage-centered design has proved to be a streamlined process that can be made as agile or lightweight as necessary. For more details, see papers on Process Agility and Usage-Centered Engineering for Web Applications.
Related Questions
- How does FeaturePlan interact in an Agile / Extreme Programming environment where the development cycles are frequent (i.e. two weeks)?
- Have Extreme Programming and other "agile" processes eliminated "big design up front" (BDUF)?
- What is the relationship between AOP and XP (extreme programming AKA agile methods)?
