Utilizing Agile Methodologies for SaaS Product Design

Using the Iterative Design method for ideating and implementing software designs.

What is Agile?

Agile is a methodology for developing digital products. It’s great for quickly shipping features of software, web, or mobile applications!

Agile allows you to be iterative. Being iterative means you can ship features or increments of your product/software quickly and repeatedly. Agile teams divide their work into multiple Sprints. These are short periods of time (less than one calendar month) in which we set a goal, prioritize tasks, and quickly work to reach our goal.

How can I use Agile for design?

Agile isn’t just for working with teams. I use Agile methodologies for contract or freelance work pretty often. When using Agile methodologies, you can quickly get features done without worrying about client anxiety. Clients can get restless waiting for weeks while you work on software, so using Agile can help you get quick feedback on your designs.

What is the Agile process?

When designing for SaaS tools, there is a specific order of operations I like to follow:

Understand → Research → Sketch → Design → Implement → Evaluate

When we work with clients, we first must understand. We have to understand their value proposition and business goals/objectives. If we don’t have these in mind, we cannot properly ideate and create software design.

Our next step is to research. This is a very broad topic. When researching, I personally conduct a market analysis, review go-to-market strategy, and research new UI trends (see Dribbble or Behance). You can also ask your client for a copy of their pitch deck for a better understanding of their business model.

We start getting into design when we move to sketch. A simple method is to draw with a pen and paper. You can also create low-fidelity wireframes or freehands in Invision. This helps you better conceptualize what you’re going to port into high-fidelity with design.

Designing is entirely interpretive, as every designer has different methods. You can use Adobe XD, Sketch, Figma, or another tool of your choice for high-fidelity mockups. Personally, I love Adobe XD for it’s built-in prototyping features and functionality.

Next, we implement. Now, implementing is subjective to your client’s needs and preferences. I tend to make use of tools like Avocode and Zeplin for designer-developer handoff to better assist developers with implementation. Your clients will love you for this and want to work with you again in the long term. The final step is optional, as some clients will have you work on this but some won't.

When you evaluate, you take on product management tasks (this is why I say it’s important for product designers to learn some parts of being a PM!). You can plan usability testing sessions, customer feedback sessions, A/B testing sessions (test with the previous software version vs. the new version you designed to demonstrate your success with your clients), and distribute your client’s beta (to approved sources only) to test for bugs and design issues. Some clients will prefer that you stop after the design stage. I’ve worked with clients on information architecture with no design at all. This is vital to remember: you work according to your client’s needs.

Conclusion

Using Agile methodologies for Product Design is the way to go when you need to quickly iterate and receive clear feedback from clients. I find that working with Agile makes me more productive and organized and helps me get contract/freelance work done on time. Take a shot at using it for a project! I think you’ll find that it’s super helpful 😇

Hey! I’m Max, a Digital Product Designer. Currently, I’m working with Vendr (YC S19) on internal software design. I love working on SaaS, web, and mobile products, especially in the financial technology space. Connect with me on LinkedIn, or check out my portfolio!

I wrote this piece as my first of many contributions to Augment Official, a platform that empowers and elevates students interested in career growth. Check out our Medium page for more articles!