This presentation describes a case study from GE Healthcare, where I conducted usability testing every two weeks in conjunction with the sprint cycles.

1. Integrating usability testing
into Agile
A case study from GE
Healthcare
Elisa K. Miller
emillerupa@gmail.com

2. Iteration and user involvement in
Agile (what we know about Agile)

3. Agile Manifesto values
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4. A better match
Since Agile methods appear to more
closely match the way people solve
problems, they can be helpful in
solving the types of complex,
interrelated problems organizations
increasingly call upon UX designers to
address.
Peter Hornsby
Can UX be Agile?
UX Matters 10-2009
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5. One UX pro gets excited about Agile
First, it’s people oriented.
Second, it is based on the idea or
iteration.
Third and most important it’s based
on the idea what on every iteration
you get real customer feedback
and change you direction based on
that feedback.
Hugh Beyer, in an interview with Jared Spool
UIE Brainsparks, 03/16/2012
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6. What is user experience (UX) and
why should I care?

7. Definition of UX
Every aspect of the user’s interaction with a
product, service, or company that make up the
user’s perceptions of the whole. User
experience design as a discipline is concerned
with all the elements that together make up
that interface, including layout, visual design,
text, brand, sound, and interaction.
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8. A GREAT user experience
Great user experiences are
powered by customer- and user-
centric thinking in all aspects of
design and development.
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9. User experiences that merit design
attention occur at every stage of
interaction with a product, including:
• Product awareness • Operation via the user
interfaces
• Selection and purchase
• Support and services
• Delivery and packaging
• Maintenance and
• Installation and upgrade
configuration
• De-installation and
• Training and ramp up disposal
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10. A Model for integrating UX into Agile

11. Integrating UX and development
Work out the interface for a story before development starts (Sprint 0)
 Detailed UI design
 Final iteration with users
Work with development during the iteration
 Communicate design to developer
 Consult on detailed behavior
Test implementation with users in the following iteration
Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4
UX team UX team UX team
designs designs designs
story 1 story 2 story 3
UX team UX team UX team
consults consults consults
on story 1 on story 2 on story 3
UX team UX team
tests tests
story 1 story 2
Dev team Dev team Dev team
builds builds builds
story 1 story 2 story 3

12. Agile-Usability Breaking it Down
Project Definition: Sprint 0
• Strategic design
• Initial user research - study of work practice
• Methods: for example, Contextual Inquiry, Observation,
Task Analysis, Workflow discussion, Collaboration
workgroup
• Activities: Interpretation Sessions and Affinity Diagrams
• Deliverables:
• Understand/document the use environment
• Develop personas
• Develop storyboards and prototypes
• Concept testing – paper prototyping testing (high level)
• Methods: Cognitive Walk-throughs & prototype usability testing
(remote)
• Usually two rounds for confidence in vision and user stories are
realistic
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13. Agile-Usability Breaking it Down
Sprint 0
Project Definition:
• Planning for Sprint #1
• Develop use stories (based on task cards)
• Develop prototypes for what will be coded in sprint #1
• Test prototypes for sprint #1 development
• Methods: usability testing, cognitive walk through, heuristic
analysis, SUS
• Tools: Morae, WebEx
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14. Agile-Usability Breaking it Down
• Sprint # 1
Input for
Sprint #1 Sprint #2
• Implement UI tested prototypes at Phase 0 for coding in
sprint #1
• Planning for Sprint #2
• Develop use stories
• Develop prototypes for what will be coded in sprint #2
• Test prototypes for sprint #2 development
• Methods: usability testing, cognitive walk through,
heuristic analysis, SUS
• Tools: Morae, WebEx 14
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15. Agile-Usability Breaking it Down
Testing
Sprint #1
• Sprint #2
Input for
Sprint #2
Sprint #3
• Implement UI tested prototypes at Sprint #1 for coding in Sprint #2
• Usability Test completed UI from Sprint #1 to ensure nothing was lost in the
translation
• Methods: remote usability testing, cognitive walk through, SUS,
• Tools: Morae, WebEx
• Planning for Sprint #3
• Develop use stories (based on task cards)
• Develop prototypes for what will be coded in Sprint #3
• Test prototypes for sprint #3 development
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16. Involving customers from Sprint 0 on
Collaboration workgroups, comprising
customers from a variety if practices meet
every other week.
They review sketches and prototypes and
share how they see their office workflow in
relation to the prototype.
The UX rep and Systems Engineers revise the
prototypes and review again (iterating).
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17. Case Study: Integrating usability
testing into the CPS agile process

18. Centricity Practice Solutions:
PM & EMR
Project: multiple fixes and upgrades to the
CPS product.
Users:
• PM (practice management) – Billing office
management & personnel
• EMR (electronic medical records) –
Providers (medical staff)
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19. Project information:
Nine Scrum teams – five on EMR projects and
four on PM projects.
• Sprint Reviews on
Thursday mornings
• Sprint planning on
Thursday afternoons
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20. Basic usability test cycle
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21. Weeks one & two: detailed
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22. Weeks three & four detailed
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23. Report to the Scrum Teams

24. Usability test plan
• Identify doctors, nurses and other clinical
help to participate
• Find a convenient time for their sessions
• Create the usability tasks
• Pre-test with internal folks
• Conduct the test
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25. Tasks (from two different scrum
teams)
• View current meds search
• View prototype and try same search
• Discuss
• Open prototype of problems panel
– Have them conduct several searches:
– Using the search box only
– Using the magnifying glass
– Start with the Add a problem form
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26. Meds search results

27. Scrum teams iteration

28. Sprint Planning
Scrum teams take the results of the usability
test and review.
Create user stories from the results.
Prioritize – integrate into next Sprint or place in
backlog?
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29. Making it work
Cooperation from Scrum teams.
Prototypes from systems engineers.
Participation from customers.
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30. Other UX techniques involving users
Cognitive walk-through
Contextual inquiry
Face to face usability testing (typically
conducted during the biannual user
conference).
Site visits.
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31. References
Carmichael, Sean (2012) Hugh Beyer—Getting Started
with UX Inside Agile Development (www.uie.com)
Hornsby, Peter (2009) Can UX be Agile? UX Matters
(www.uxmatters.com)
Nodder, Chris & Jakob Nielsen (2009) Agile Usability:
Best practices for User Experience on Agile
Development Projects. Nielsen Norman Group
(www.nngroup.com)
Spool, Jared M (2012) UX and Agile Development:
2012’s Challenged and Opportunities (www.uie.com)
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