Analysis: Agile Software Development and User-Centred Design

This report reviews the integration of Agile software development and User-Centred System Design (UCSD), exploring the challenges of merging these two methodologies. The report discusses the Agile process, focusing on communication and speed, and UCSD, which emphasizes user experience and usability. The author highlights issues faced by IT and UX professionals, including conflicts in team dynamics and a lack of common understanding regarding usability. The report presents evidence from surveys and interviews with IT professionals, revealing the constraints within Scrum and the difficulties faced by UX professionals in integrating UCSD within Agile projects. The study concludes that while the initial idea of merging Agile and UCSD seems beneficial, the practical application reveals significant challenges and potential risks, particularly concerning the end-user experience. The report emphasizes that the Agile software development does not directly support the UCSD through the process itself.

Running head: A REVIEW ON SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
A REVIEW ON SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Section 1:....................................................................................................................................2
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................2
The purpose of the article:......................................................................................................2
Is the problem important?......................................................................................................2
Section 2:....................................................................................................................................3
Argument to be made to support the author’s position-.........................................................3
Evidence used to support the position:...................................................................................3
Convincing power of the argument:.......................................................................................4
Section 3:....................................................................................................................................4
Software development community:.......................................................................................4
Section 4:....................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................6
References:.................................................................................................................................7

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Section 1:
Introduction:
The purpose of the article:
The article typically discuses about the Agile development process that focuses on the
communication, development, working of the software and makes the working with the
software easy for the user. It introduces the user-centred system design that focuses on the
easy of usage of the software and the experience of the user throughout the whole process.
The article proposes an idea of merging the Agile process with UCSD that will make the
work of the user easy and time saving. The article interprets the findings on the activities of
UCSD in Agile project and how the Agile process is gaining benefits from merging of
them(Abrahamsson et al. 2017). The article typically hi-lights the factors that are determining
the role of the Agile process and UCSD and how they help the user. They both have different
focusing point and if they are merged together it will be highly beneficial to the end-user.
Is the problem important?
Yes, the problem is important. The problem states that when the IT professionals are
working in Scum they are highly influenced by the constraints that the scum development
process contains. The Agile process claims that the projects gives an environment and
support to complete the job. However, it is not concerned about the users when they are
focusing on individuals. Thus, it is often doubtful that who is to be held responsible for the
interaction between the user and the team. Another major problem related to this is with the
UX professionals who rarely understands the team environment. The research done by the
author clearly shows that the motivated workers who tries to integrate UCSD work in Scum
do not have the situation to do the work that is required to do. In Scum the team bonding and
environment is strong and the workers feel left out from the team in this culture. However,

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they maintain a principal to trust the team but often there is conflict among the team members
and the UX professionals. The problem clearly states that the IT professionals are interested
in usable activities but do not have a common understanding and this makes it harder for
them to fight for the usability.
Section 2:
Argument to be made to support the author’s position-
The author discusses about the issues faced in the integration of UCSD and the
formation of Agile lies within various approaches. The Agile process focus on the
communication and speed in the team. Whereas the UCSD focuses on the communication
with user and making the system usable. It has it own contribution for increasing the
likelihood of delivering functioning system on time with appropriate budget. The Agile user
does not think about the actual end-user(Bukhari). They mainly focus on providing
importance to the customer instead of providing quality to the end-user. Generally it is
concluded that UCSD has a lot to gain when integrated with Agile system. When the
activities in the Agile process it can be seen that it is not easy. According to Jan Gulliksen it
was concluded that UX professionals need to play an explicit role while working in the
project, else they will feel left out. They should maintain the authority in the work place.
Evidence used to support the position:
The process includes a research survey conducted by them to know about the user
view. The research includes interview with usability and user experience. The interview had a
single purpose to understand how the users are using and applying UCSD in their projects
and the problems faced by them. The interview included result from various sources and
conclusion was simple. The answer came from 37 IT professionals and information was
collected from 158 professionals using Agile processes. The interpretation was gathered from

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5 studies. The overall conclusion states the problem and chances of Agile and UCSD. It
concludes that IT professionals in Scum are highly influenced by the constraints that the
scum process includes. In a research paper by Marta Larusdotter it was analysed how to
understand the constraints the scum process provides. The suggested few measures to define
the responsibility to the team members and PO, they should regularly communicate directly
with the actual user. The team member should use multiple channel for feedback and review.
Convincing power of the argument:
The argument had started with the basic different with the UCSD and Agile process
that were supposed to be merged for a better scope for the end-user. However, the author has
highlighted the issues regarding this and how it affects the users in various IT sections. The
IT users were interviewed and based on their data it was concluded that there are many gaps
and uneasy situation for the UX professionals to work on such situation. The article states
that the UCSD methodologies are highly target oriented and ambitious to fit the development
process. The argument is highly accepted in the society especially among those who are
actually using the process. However, initially a conception comes that the merging of these
two will give a better outcome. The other researches done by various organizations also states
the same problem. The argument has strong convincing power as it has logical reasons along
with direct reviews from IT professionals who all are using the system in their daily life.
Pershin and Di Ventra 2014, June). This creates a disturbance in the whole process and leads
to failure in the whole process of merging them.
Section 3:
Software development community:
The most efficient method transferring information to the and in a team is direct face
to face. The study has highlighted that the direct conversation is the most appealing way to

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communicate in an organization. It has shown that how daily stand up meetings are common
and it gives a good over view of the works performed by the team. The agile method has
established the system of solving problem to save time for the origival development process.
The Agile focuses the requirement for the software to be working that will enhance the
process of continuous development, manage development, and facilitate the development.
Another theory states that the software is the main measure for progress. The reasons are
rarely shown in Scrum project and the level of usability is often informally evaluated with a
limited users. Many agile methods are least concerned about the actual end user. They target
only on delivering values to the customers instead of delivering the quality to the end –user.
The software development community will have a clear idea about the effect of the two
distinct process that could have been merged to make a better result. The community will
build a better idea about the whole process and its side-affect in the system. The user will
have a clear idea about the fact that the agile software development does not support UCSD
activities through the process itself nether does it prevents it. It suggests the user that if they
want to work with UCSD in an Agile fashion then it will be a good starting point for the
change. It is clearly stated that the potential for them to work is more general for all
methodology. It suggests that when it is necessary to give priority while working with UCSD
in Agile development give the person an authority to stop the production line, give them
responsibility to evaluate usability.
The paper gives me a clear idea about the working with the different systems that will not be
a wise decision. The study has cleared my idea about the development process like Scum that
is focusing on communication and development and the UCSD design that focuses on the
usability of the user. Just like others even I had an initial idea of merging these two to get a
better result for the end-user while working with this process. The study actually cleared my
view on this topic and made me realize the issues that are related to the merging of these two

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processes. Although these two processes are assumed to meet similar issues and by applying
them the system would become usable tasks. The paper has hi-lighted the related issues faced
by the users and how difficult it becomes to conduct the whole system if these processes are
merged. It has specifically shown the common problems that are faced by the users(Kruchten
2013). The study has conveyed a survey and that has shown the interview of various IT
professionals and the users who are using this process and has faced few issues.
In work place it is better to avoid the use of Agile method that is not benefiting the users. The
Agile method generally does not consider the users issues. The process of changing the
requirement is a part of iterative development however, it does not mean that Agile
professional should avoid the main work of understanding the context of usage and exploring
through various designs. It sometimes neglects the early affects and starts believing that this
could be made from the made up for future. This shows that there is a high risk that clearly
states that the product owner is considered as a substitute(Larusdottir, Gulliksen and Cajander
2017).
Section 4:
Conclusion:
Thus, it can be concluded that paper is hi-lighting the Agile software development
project does not support the UCSD directly through the process itself. It can be good starting
point. The Agile practitioner’s uses scrum generally selects one issue to improve the process
at the meetings. The study is completely based on the surveys and studies done by the authors
and has no accurate conclusion for it. However, it can be concluded with this note mentioned
above. There are potential for the for the users to work more generally for the methodologies.
The study clearly removes the misconception about merging the two programs and making a
better output. It has clearly stated the risks related to this system and has to be kept in mind

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by the users. The use of this combined system will not be of much help and this has been
proved by the surveys done by the author that clearly states that the idea will be a failure. The
survey was done in IT professionals and the users thus the answers are also absolutely trust
worthy. There might be few changes in minor cases but the overall thought point will remain
the same.

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References:
Abrahamsson, P., Salo, O., Ronkainen, J. and Warsta, J., 2017. Agile software development
methods: Review and analysis. arXiv preprint arXiv:1709.08439.
Bukhari, S.N.H., Agile software development.
Kruchten, P., 2013. Contextualizing agile software development. Journal of Software:
Evolution and Process, 25(4), pp.351-361.
Larusdottir, M., Gulliksen, J. and Cajander, Å., 2017. A license to kill–Improving UCSD in
Agile development. Journal of Systems and Software, 123, pp.214-222.
Pershin, Y.V. and Di Ventra, M., 2014, June. Memcomputing: A computing paradigm to
store and process information on the same physical platform. In Computational Electronics
(IWCE), 2014 International Workshop on (pp. 1-2). IEEE.