Connecting more closely with end users and customers

SCRUM & LEAN UX | Episode 3

One of the pitfalls in Scrum is that a Development Team could focus perhaps a bit too much on the development of the product increment during a Sprint, doing with what little feedback they get from a Sprint Review.

Sadly, but often so, end-users are not included in Sprint Reviews. They might be represented by internal stakeholders, who might only present real-user metrics and establish assumptions from those. That isn’t what we are aiming for with LEAN UX.

UX designers can recruit users (and other stakeholders) to participate in design activities during the Sprint. Some Scrum Professionals might find this unnerving. And I admit, so did I. After all, wouldn’t that be distracting the Development Team? Yet… imagine frequent release of increments to a user base, which are all entirely build on unvalidated assumptions, made by indirect representatives during a brief get-together?! Now that is unnerving.

Continuous alignment through continuous involvement.

Some shiver at the thought of developers interacting with customers or end-users. Imagine though what it does to motivation when developers (being the value creators) don’t get to see the value being delivered. Not getting…