COS70004 - User Centered Design: Critique of Agile Development

This essay presents a critique of integrating User-Centered Design (UCD) within Agile development processes, particularly Scrum, as discussed in the provided article. It highlights the importance of communication, collaboration, and continuous software delivery in Agile, contrasting it with UCD's emphasis on user experience and usability throughout the system lifecycle. The analysis covers key terms like UCD, Scrum, and Agile development, addressing the significance of system development challenges and conflicting values between engineering-oriented approaches and UCD. Evidence supporting the author's argument is presented, focusing on the core values of Agile and UCD, the benefits of adapting to requirement changes, and the role of UX professionals. Counter-evidence is also considered, noting potential gaps in user feedback and documentation. The implications for software development are discussed, including the synthesis of studies on IT professionals and the challenges of aligning UCD and Agile values. The essay concludes by emphasizing the need for product owners and team members to have expertise in both software development and usability activities for successful UCD integration within Agile processes. Desklib offers a variety of resources for students, including past papers and solved assignments.

Running head: HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN
HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Section 1 Introduction................................................................................................................3
Purpose of the article..............................................................................................................3
Key terms...............................................................................................................................3
Section 2 Significance................................................................................................................4
Is the problem important?......................................................................................................4
Section 3 Evidence.....................................................................................................................4
Argument made to support author..........................................................................................4
Evidence of support................................................................................................................4
Convincing argument.............................................................................................................4
Counter evidence....................................................................................................................5
Section 4 Implication of software development.........................................................................5
Implication of the paper.............................................................................................................5
Implication of the paper to you..................................................................................................5
Changing of view.......................................................................................................................5
Application of idea.................................................................................................................5
Section 5 Conclusion..................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Section 1 Introduction
Purpose of the article
The main aim of the article is to take into consideration the different aspects which
are related to the concept of the agile development processes. The main factor of emphasis is
the sector of communication, collaboration of the developers and the delivery of the software
in a working condition continuously and early. The concept of user centric design (UCD) can
be considered as a process emphasizing on the concept of the user experience and the
usability aspect which is throughout the system life cycle. The main purpose of the article is
to discuss and interprets the major finding on the UCSD activities and relating to the agile
projects in which are directly analyzed according to the principles from the manifesto of the
agile. The article shows that the agile development has a gain from the aspect of the
integrating UCSD and provides evidence on how to integrate the UCSD in the agile
processes.
Key terms
The key terms which are included into the article are stated below:
 user centric design: The conecpt of the user centric design basically explans the
phases different phases which are related to the design and the life cycle development.
The main focus point which can be related to the concept is to gain deep
understanding of who will be using the product. It can be stated that there are many
underlie design which are related to the user centered design. The design can be stated
to be directly based on the aspect of the understanding which is explicit for the user’s
point of view.
 Scrum: the concept of scrum can be considered as a most common concept of the
agile process which is relatively lightweight process. The scrum can be used to

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control the software and the product and directly manage the products. The
development process can be done using the concept of the incremental practice and
using the concept of iterative method. According to the inventors of the scrum it was
stated that it is the fastest, most widely used and accepted agile process which can be
considered to be very much easy to implement. It improves the communication which
can be applied between the client and the developers. The aspect which is basically
taken into considering is that the focus point should be removed from the concept of
the programming and putting focus on the aspect of goal orientation and planning.
 Agile development: Agile development can be used to describe the concept which is
related to the “iterative software development”. It can be stated that the concept which
is applicable to the iterative software development shortens the life cycle which is
related to the software development. The agile development can be contrasted with
the waterfall development or traditional model, where large projects are basically
planned up front and executed against that particular plan. Taking into consideration
quality code delivery production each of the sprint requires the agile development
team to account for the acceleration pace.
Section 2 Significance
Is the problem important?
The main discussion which is related to the system development is not a new concept
in the HCL and the range of conflict between the different values of the system related to the
development has been clearly described in the report. In the article as stated by Brannon that
“part of the problem resides in the implicit view of ordinary people which, if surfaced would
seem to treat people as, at worst, adopts who must be shielded from the machine, or as, best
simply sets the elementary process or “factors” which can be studied in the isolation in the
laboratory”. Taking into consideration the aspect of the software engineering the system

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theoretical perspective and on the other hand the perspective of the system also. Many of the
approaches which are related to the system development originated in an engineering oriented
approach worldwide which is closely related to the system theoretical perspective. The value
which can be considered to be conflicting with the value of the UCSD can be a continuous
process. This problem can be considered as an important factor in the working prospective of
the software as a whole (Hawkins 2017).
Section 3 Evidence
Argument made to support author
The concept of the UCSD and the agile fundamentality have different set of value
which are attached towards it. In the concept of the agile manifesto it can be stated that the
core value which is related to the agile development were basically agreed upon. The basic
value which is related to the UCSD can be directly outlined in the definition and the
principles which are key relating to the UCSD. In this context the explanation of the context
of the way of thinking and the way of interpretation.
Evidence of support
It can be stated here that the change in the requirement even in late in the process of
the development, the process which is related to the agile harness the changes for the
advantage which is related to the customers. In most of the cases it is seen that the normal
organization implements the process to gain major advantage in the overall working of the
aspect which helps in the depiction of the working. The working in this context can be
considered to the internal as well as external. In majority of the cases it is seen that the
complexity which is seen in the aspect of the model is one of the most important sectors
which has to be taken care of. If these all aspects are taken into considerations the model can
be very much beneficial for the organization.

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Convincing argument
The research sector shows that the UX professional rarely fit in the team culture
which can be stated to be playing a very vital role. From the results which are obtained in this
context it can be stated that the exposure to the scrum do not always have the support and the
documentation they need from the prospective of the working (Hawkins 2017). One of the
professional person stated that the aspect on Add on are explaining the collaboration which is
related to the team members. The professional who are directly related to the information
technology are continuously in the verge of exploiting new area of innovation which would
be directly helping the field of expansion. Basic value can be considered very much essential
in this field as it can be related to the aspect of delivering the standard of work which is
involved in the sector of software development
Counter evidence
Furthermost it can be stated that the IT professionals who indulge in the sector of the
documentation which is related to the usability aspect require are not more likely to the
gather of the feedback which is from the user to check if the documentation usability
requirement are fulfiller or not (Hawkins 2017).
Section 4 Implication of software development
Implication of the paper
The study which is presented in the paper can be considered as a synthesis of the
following aspects: survey of the studies which is related to how IT professional work along
with the software development conducted over the user centered activity in basically two
countries. The main concept which can be applied to the concept is that the principle which is
related to the “working software is the primary measure which is relate to the success factor”
the result which is showed measures that rarely the definition of the usability which is related

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to the scrum project. Few of the IT professional conduct the quantitative evaluation which is
highly rated but on the other hand conducting the concept of the usability evaluation can be
very much not frequent.
Implication of the paper to you
According to me one of the biggest challenges which can be related in the aspect of
UCSD and agile development is the value and the attribute which lie within the different
approaches. In the development which is related agile mainly focus on the aspect of
communication and speed with the functionality of the team (Chingale and Rao 2015). In the
concept of the UCSD it can be stated that it provides emphasis on the concept of
communication with the users and allowing the system to be usable.
Changing of view
The agile process provides a view which is very much structured in its approach to
group of collaboration in the field of software development. The concept directly puts focus
on the aspect of the early delivery which is relating to the minimizing the aspect of the
wastage which is related to the process and functionality of the code. The change in view can
be considered in way which directly explains that the basic strategy which is include into the
aspect.
Application of idea
Scientifically it can be stated that the engineering filed which is related to the software
are not easily incorporated within the knowledge of the HCL field without being expressed
using their conceptual framework and following their condition. It can be stated that
successful integration of the UCSD in the process of agile needs to be very much explicit and
the attitude to UCSD needs to be develop (Zekos 2016).

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Section 5 Conclusion
It report can be concluded on a note that the process which is related to the aspect that
the owner of the products or one of the team member should have experience in the overall
working of the software. On the other hand to gain greater advantage all the members of the
team should have the overall knowledge of the system. The owner should also always take
into consideration the aspect which is related to the usability activities. On the other hand the
team that work independently in this aspect should have the focus on the aspect of the
usability.

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References
Bellido, E., Guillevic, M., Hidalgo, T., Santander-Ortega, M.J., Serre, C. and Horcajada, P.,
2014. Understanding the colloidal stability of the mesoporous MIL-100 (Fe) nanoparticles in
physiological media. Langmuir, 30(20), pp.5911-5920.
Buttini, F., Rozou, S., Rossi, A., Zoumpliou, V. and Rekkas, D.M., 2017. The application of
Quality by Design framework in the pharmaceutical development of dry powder inhalers.
European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Chingale, R. and Rao, S.D., 2015. Software Patent in India: A Comparative Judicial and
Empirical Overview.
de Lange, M.F., Verouden, K.J., Vlugt, T.J., Gascon, J. and Kapteijn, F., 2015. Adsorption-
driven heat pumps: the potential of metal–organic frameworks. Chemical reviews, 115(22),
pp.12205-12250.
Hawkins, F.H., 2017. Human factors in flight. Routledge.
Zekos, G.I., 2016. Intellectual Property Rights: A Legal and Economic Investigation. IUP
Journal of Knowledge Management, 14(3), p.28.