Keeping user centred design (UCD) alive and well in your organisation: Taking an agile approach

Abstract

Using the analogy of user centred design (UCD) as a garden, we explore how to establish, grow and cultivate it to maturity in an organisation. We consider the importance of: having a clear and agreed intent and scope at the start; understanding the environment and culture; planning for success; focusing on the expected outcomes at each iteration; dealing with barriers and risks as they occur; implementing quickly in a scalable manner (according to the Agile methodology); conducting regular 'health checks'; reporting progress; and celebrating achievements along the way. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.