When working on projects where the Agile development process is being employed, the Lean UX methodology is tremendously helpful. When development is done in quick spurts, traditional UX methodologies frequently don’t work since there isn’t enough time to offer UX in the same way.
Delivering a fantastic user experience is the common aim shared by all types of UX; Lean UX just approaches projects in a slightly different manner. So let’s see how it would function.
What Is “Lean UX”?
Unlike traditional UX, lean UX is more concerned with the experience being designed than with the deliverables. It necessitates more team collaboration on all fronts.
Focusing on getting input as soon as possible so that it may be utilized to make decisions quickly is the main goal. Lean UX imitates the quick, iterative cycles that are inherent in Agile development to ensure that the data gathered may be utilized in each iteration.
Lean UX’s Need for Assumptions
The project is built on requirements gathering and deliverables in conventional UX. The goal is to make sure that the deliverables are as precise as possible and appropriately address the specifications that are established at the beginning of the project.
It differs somewhat from lean UX. You aren’t concentrating on specific deliverables. You want to make adjustments that make the product better right now, effectively shaping the result for the better.
Using a “problem statement” instead of “requirements” instead should produce a collection of assumptions that may be utilized to develop hypotheses.
An assumption is what? In essence, an assumption is a declaration of what we believe to be true. They are intended to produce a shared understanding of a concept that enables everyone to begin. It is widely known that assumptions might not be accurate and might alter as the project progresses and the team gains more knowledge.
Typically, assumptions are created in workshops. As soon as the team is assembled, the problem is presented, and then the group is given free rein to come up with solutions. Your assumptions are formed as a result of the responses you come up with to certain inquiries.
Typical questions can be:
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Who utilizes our products?
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What purpose does the product serve?
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When is it employed?
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What circumstances does it apply to?
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What will be the most crucial feature?
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What poses the greatest threat to the delivery of products?
Each question could have more than one possible response. As a result, we are left with more assumptions than we may be able to manage. If this is the case, the group can swiftly order its assumptions after its creation.
Typically, you would rank your hypotheses according to the risk they pose (what are the repercussions if this is drastically wrong? Priority levels (the more serious the repercussion, the greater the priority) and degree of comprehension of the problem at hand (the less you know, the higher the priority).
Lean UX: Formulating a Hypothesis
Lean UX hypotheses are developed to put our presumptions to the test. You may quickly and simply develop your own hypotheses by following a straightforward structure.
Example:
We think it’s crucial for smartphone users to have the option to preserve their work at any moment. This will result in more sign-up completions overall. When we can quantify an increase from the present completion rate of 20%, we will have proven this.
We describe the belief, its importance, and the people to whom it matters. Then we add what we hope to do after that. Finally, we decide what information we would need to gather to support our view.
If it turns out that we cannot demonstrate our hypothesis, we may be moving on the wrong path because the goals we have set for ourselves are not well defined.
The removal of political infighting and most of the “I don’t think that’s a good idea” rhetoric from the UX design process is one of the major benefits of working in this way. Every hypothesis will be put to the test, and the evidentiary standards will be made explicit.
Lack of proof? Then it’s time to abandon the plan and pursue an alternative.
Everyone is more likely to be content to wait to find out if a theory is correct if they can all comprehend it and what to expect from it rather than fiercely arguing for their own personal point of view.
Lean UX and the Minimum Viable Product
Lean UX’s fundamental idea is the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The goal is to develop the notion in its most basic form, test it, and, if the results are unsatisfactory, abandon it. The MVPs that exhibit potential may then be easily included in additional design and development phases.
This is a fantastic method to make the most of your resources, and it’s one of the reasons Agile development works so well since it encourages experimenting without regard for “holy cows.”
Lean UX uses user testing and research
By their very nature, Lean UX’s user research and testing are founded on the same ideas as those applied in conventional UX settings. The strategy, however, is often “fast and dirty” since findings must be produced before the beginning of the following Agile Sprint.
As a consequence, raw data is prioritized more than robust, painstakingly documented outputs.
Research responsibilities also tend to be distributed more evenly throughout the entire team so that there isn’t a “bottleneck” caused by a single UX design resource attempting to complete the entire project on their own within a limited amount of time.
In addition to increasing the degree of awareness and support for UX work inside the development team, this frequently leads to development personnel engaging in “hands-on” UX work.
Summary
There is obviously much more to Lean UX than can be included in a short(ish) post, therefore this is only a very high-level summary. However, by understanding these fundamental ideas, you should be able to start adopting Lean UX in your Agile context.
