As both a contributor and manager with experience in agile Scrum environments, I've seen firsthand the challenges of integrating design into agile delivery. Many organizations struggle to implement Scrum effectively and appropriately, often viewing design as a hindrance rather than a value-add. That said, design and agile are not enemies. They can be powerful allies when implemented together correctly.
The Agile-Design Dilemma
Soon after we started our agile journey, I began noticing an almost cherry-picked format of Scrum. Our teams were picking and choosing the parts of the process to follow while ignoring critical mechanisms intended to work together. We were stuck in a cycle of using the same tools repetitively, regardless of whether they were the right fit for the task at hand. Design was often an afterthought, squeezed into sprints without proper consideration or time allocation.
This approach led to frustrated product teams and product owners alongside leadership that felt constantly behind schedule. It was clear that we needed a change.
Reimagining Scrum and Design Integration
To address these challenges, we embarked on a journey to re-implement Scrum in its truest form while simultaneously integrating design methods within our process. We started with education and shifting mindsets. We started by educating our entire team about the value of design in the agile process. And while our team already recognized design’s value, we emphasized that design isn't just about making things look pretty; it's about solving problems and creating intentional experiences that benefit users, just as Scrum benefits us by supporting our delivery of those experiences.
In terms of Scrum, we followed a strong Scrum cadence, requiring all participants to participate where required–not just some people some of the time. This ensured our delivery process was wholly intact.
And with that strong foundation, we were able to introduce design-focused activities into our sprints. For example, the introduction of design jams as a precursor to deeper design or development work. The team was passionate and full of ideas, and needed an outlet to express those ideas together; as opposed to filling Scrum ceremonies with discussions outside the event’s main intent. The theory of design jams spurred from the team’s shared knowledge of design thinking methodology.
We found great success with introducing design jams. While not only allowing the team to explore and validate ideas quickly before committing to full development cycles, it also generated positive feedback directly from the product owner and elevated the team’s camaraderie (bonus!). The team was already familiar with concepts like story mapping, flows, and prototyping; however the design jams were an additional tool in our box, which in our Scrum environment was leveraged more often than not.
With the concept of co-creation, the entire development team now felt as if they had a stake in the design process. Just as design was leveraged for development activities where possible. We began shifting towards a dynamic that treated design not as a one-time phase, but integrated design methods and skills throughout the entire development process.
The Right Tools at the Right Time
One of the key themes I want to spotlight is the importance of using the right tools at the right time. In this story’s example, our team moved away from a one-size-fits-all approach, and instead adopted a flexible toolkit that the whole product team could leverage:
-
For early ideation: Design jams and whiteboarding flows
-
For user research: Interview guides and surveying
-
For prototyping: Rapid wireframing for quick iterations and user testing
By choosing the appropriate tools for each stage of the process, we were able to work more efficiently and effectively as a full product team.
Harmonious Results
The results of our efforts have been nothing short of remarkable. We shifted from a developer-based culture to one that shared common principles regardless of craft. Design is now seamlessly integrated into our Scrum process, with design actively participating in all aspects of product development. Our product owner, users, and leadership have noticed the difference in our velocity and delivery, with satisfaction increasing significantly since we implemented these changes. Our development team now works together more harmoniously, with a shared understanding of each other's roles and value.
Our journey has shown that Scrum and design are not mutually exclusive, but in fact, they're better together. By reimagining our approach to agile delivery and embracing design as an equally shared part of the process, we've created a more efficient, effective, and user-centered product development cycle.
When I first started my own agile journey, I had a hard time thinking outside of the sometimes more rigid design box we all were trained in. And just as most things in life, it's about balance. It’s about adapting your way to allow design and development to work in harmony, always keeping the user at the center of it all.