Abstract
Agile methods are the best fit for tremendously growing software industry due to its flexible and dynamic nature. But the software developed using agile methods do meet the usability standards? To answer this question we can see that majority of agile software development projects currently involve interactive user interface designs, which can only be possible by following User Centered Design (UCD) in agile methods. The question here is, how to integrate UCD with agile models. Both Agile models and UCD are iterative in nature but agile models focus on coding and development of software; whereas, UCD focuses on user interface of the software. Similarly, both of them have testing features where the agile model involves automated tested code while UCD involves an expert or a user to test the user interface. In this paper, a new agile usability model is proposed and the evaluation is of the proposed model is presented by practically implementing it in three real life projects. . Key results from these projects clearly show: the proposed agile model incorporates usability evaluation methods, improves the relationship between usability experts to work with agile software experts; in addition, allows agile developers to incorporate the result from UCD into subsequent interactions. Keywords: Agile software development; User centered design; User interface; Usability evaluation.
Highlights
In today’s age, the software development process has turned dynamic and flexible to achieve better software quality
Usability evaluation seems fit with the agile model as it seems with the acceptance testing
Having iterations in agile model is seen as an opportunity for usability evaluation to identify usability bugs or can accommodate any new feature; so that the iteration is seen as an opportunity to fix the usability bugs or accommodate those changes
Summary
In today’s age, the software development process has turned dynamic and flexible to achieve better software quality. Consistent gaining popularity of the agile method is due to the iterative and fast development in fewer spans of time. While agile focuses on working software exclusive on the coding and development of software; whereas, UCD focused on interface designing and making interactive interface design for the users. Saad et al /International Journal of Software Engineering and Computer System 1(2015) 29-40 Both agile and UCD have testing methods. Agile model follows automated code testing; while, UCD have usability experts or user for the testing of software. Many software companies focus on usability in agile methods but UCD practices are still behind. The significant issue faced is that agile development methods merely focus on workable software along and explicitly ignorance of usability issues. Some projects are presented with the results and in the end present the conclusions
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