Integrating user-centered design into scrum: a canvas approach

Abstract

Scrum is a widely adopted Agile framework in the software industry due to its focus on speed and communication. Despite its popularity, Scrum often falls short in addressing end-user needs, usability is often overlooked, and there is a lack of structured methods and techniques for incorporating design activities. Scrum mainly focuses on delivering functional requirements and allocates limited time for design activities. The result is functional products that may not meet user expectations. However, are these Scrum challenges? According to the Scrum Guide, Scrum is a framework—and not a methodology—that enables the integration of various practices and techniques. Scrum’s effectiveness largely depends on how practitioners implement it. Therefore, this dissertation approaches the problem from a different angle, arguing that these are not Scrum challenges, but challenges related to the application of Scrum.

With this perspective, the research was conducted in two phases: the first phase focused on identifying and understanding usability-related issues in organizations practicing Scrum, while the second phase centered on exploring, developing and validating solutions to address them. The research first employed semi-structured interviews with Scrum practitioners across various organizations to identify the key barriers they face in integrating usability. Four anti-patterns were identified, which served as the foundation for the next phase of exploration. To investigate how user-centered design (UCD) could be applied or adapted to overcome the identified barriers, the study utilized a combination of methods, including case studies, surveys, additional semi-structured interviews, and think-aloud protocols. The result was a UCD canvas, a lightweight canvas approach to enable Scrum teams to integrate usability activities without disrupting Scrum’s existing processes. The canvas was evaluated with Scrum practitioners and found to be easy to use, relevant, effective, and time efficient.

The dissertation makes several contributions. First, the identification of four anti-patterns in Scrum-driven organizations. These anti patterns can help practitioners reflect on and improve their current processes. Second, it provides insights into how UCD can be applied or adapted to fit Scrum workflow. Third, the development and evaluation of a UCD canvas. The canvas enables Scrum teams to incorporate usability concerns and share requirements with stakeholders using UCD techniques. The canvas can be used by anyone regardless of their background and it is also time efficient. However, the use of the canvas in a real-world Scrum project has yet to be evaluated. Future research could explore the canvas’s applicability and effectiveness in a real-life Scrum project.