178
Sensemaking in Safety Critical and Complex Situations
for interdisciplinary discussions. In addition, role playing and physical prototypes
are useful techniques. In order to express design concepts, low-fi prototypes such
as sketches, mock-ups, presentations and whiteboarding are commonly used ( C. M.
Gray, 2016).
Evaluating: Testing and Adjusting
At some point, a selection of one or more design directions is m ade – for example,
through prioritization matrices. Early on, focus should be on validating the value of
a concept not on the usability of the design. It is not uncommon to involve users and
stakeholders in design walkthroughs ( called pluralistic walkthroughs). Increasingly,
participatory and co-creative design work is also being used, enabling rapid user
feedback and co-discovery tests.
Next, potential solutions are typically tested with users and adjusted in an iterative
manner. An iterative process describes a strategy where something is produced, then
evaluated and next refined. Low-contact methods are usually utilized as a first step,
such as design critique based on design guidelines, heuristic evaluations and viability
analyses, before moving on to user testing. Though formal ( summative) testing is
reportedly used in UCD literature, informal usability tests appear the most commonplace in industry. Informal usability testes are conducted as soon as p ractical – for
example, through high-fi prototype guerrilla testing ( going to public libraries, subway testing, asking cantina personal, taxi drivers, etc. depending on the user environment). In UCD, usability testing usually refers to user testing. Pilot user feedback
is also utilized, as are online testing and online prompting for feedback (analytics
tools). Pilot user feedback is also utilized, as are online testing and online prompting
for feedback ( analytics tools).
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO AGILE DEVELOPMENT
The term “ agile” is applied to software development processes that are iterative and
incremental, focused on continuous improvement of working code while leaving
room for exploration and change ( Petersen & Wohlin, 2010). An incremental process
develops a larger system by partial deliveries. By delivering partial value continuously, two things happen: ( 1) it is possible to get early feedback and find what works
and does not work for the user, with less time spent on planning and documentation and ( 2) through continuous testing and deployment pipelines, costumers and
end-users get continuous value output and software quality is constantly improved.
Compared to traditional plan-based and overly requirements-based approaches,
the agile mindset is more efficient in quickly and reliably producing a usable system
( Beyer, 2010, p. 1). Early partial deliveries are usually not working code ( e.g. prototypes). As the codebase matures, changes become smaller, allowing for an efficient
automated deployment of the new code known today as continuous delivery or continuous deployment. Incremental deployments may include operations-related updates
and roll backs, development-related features, bug fixes, redesigns and re-factoring.
The agile mindset facilitates a high change tolerance from one iteration to the next,
supports rapid exploration of technical solutions, priority adjustments based on feedback and continuous error fixing ( Constantine, 2001).
Sensemaking in Safety Critical and Complex Situations
for interdisciplinary discussions. In addition, role playing and physical prototypes
are useful techniques. In order to express design concepts, low-fi prototypes such
as sketches, mock-ups, presentations and whiteboarding are commonly used ( C. M.
Gray, 2016).
Evaluating: Testing and Adjusting
At some point, a selection of one or more design directions is m ade – for example,
through prioritization matrices. Early on, focus should be on validating the value of
a concept not on the usability of the design. It is not uncommon to involve users and
stakeholders in design walkthroughs ( called pluralistic walkthroughs). Increasingly,
participatory and co-creative design work is also being used, enabling rapid user
feedback and co-discovery tests.
Next, potential solutions are typically tested with users and adjusted in an iterative
manner. An iterative process describes a strategy where something is produced, then
evaluated and next refined. Low-contact methods are usually utilized as a first step,
such as design critique based on design guidelines, heuristic evaluations and viability
analyses, before moving on to user testing. Though formal ( summative) testing is
reportedly used in UCD literature, informal usability tests appear the most commonplace in industry. Informal usability testes are conducted as soon as p ractical – for
example, through high-fi prototype guerrilla testing ( going to public libraries, subway testing, asking cantina personal, taxi drivers, etc. depending on the user environment). In UCD, usability testing usually refers to user testing. Pilot user feedback
is also utilized, as are online testing and online prompting for feedback (analytics
tools). Pilot user feedback is also utilized, as are online testing and online prompting
for feedback ( analytics tools).
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO AGILE DEVELOPMENT
The term “ agile” is applied to software development processes that are iterative and
incremental, focused on continuous improvement of working code while leaving
room for exploration and change ( Petersen & Wohlin, 2010). An incremental process
develops a larger system by partial deliveries. By delivering partial value continuously, two things happen: ( 1) it is possible to get early feedback and find what works
and does not work for the user, with less time spent on planning and documentation and ( 2) through continuous testing and deployment pipelines, costumers and
end-users get continuous value output and software quality is constantly improved.
Compared to traditional plan-based and overly requirements-based approaches,
the agile mindset is more efficient in quickly and reliably producing a usable system
( Beyer, 2010, p. 1). Early partial deliveries are usually not working code ( e.g. prototypes). As the codebase matures, changes become smaller, allowing for an efficient
automated deployment of the new code known today as continuous delivery or continuous deployment. Incremental deployments may include operations-related updates
and roll backs, development-related features, bug fixes, redesigns and re-factoring.
The agile mindset facilitates a high change tolerance from one iteration to the next,
supports rapid exploration of technical solutions, priority adjustments based on feedback and continuous error fixing ( Constantine, 2001).