Integrating Lightweight UCD into Scrum: A Canvas Approach for Non-Designers*

Abstract

Scrum is the most widely used Agile framework. While it allows flexibility in incorporating various techniques, usability activities are often overlooked by Scrum practitioners. To address this challenge, we developed a Lean UCD Canvas to help practitioners create user centered design (UCD) artifacts such as personas and journey maps represented as storyboards using comic-style visualization. We evaluated the canvas in two sessions with 16 Scrum practitioners. The first session was a pilot test aimed at refining the canvas design and content; based on feedback, we updated the canvas. In the second session, we assessed the usability of the updated canvas via think-aloud protocols and semi-structured interviews. Our findings indicate that the canvas is effective, time-efficient, and can be easily used by anyone without design skills. However, the study has limitations, including the need to evaluate the canvas's practical implementation in real-world projects.