cross-functional pairing: what it is and why you should be doing it

#xpairing @pairingprojectPhoto Credit: http://www.emagzin.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/120308.jpeg

Cross-functional PairingWhat it is and why you should be doing itAnders Ramsay Jef Bekes Mike Long | Balanced Team Conference 2011

Driver

Navigator

Continuous Ideation/Production/Feedback

1+1>2Sustained FocusContinuous DebuggingMulti-sensory stimulationKnowledge distribution

Why don’t we get to

pair?!

Sustained FocusContinuous DebuggingMulti-sensory stimulationKnowledge distribution

X-Functional Pairing

Create an L-Mode/R-Mode Tug-of-WarCreate a Cross-Disciplinary LoopGet comfortable sharing work in progressLearn to create lean specs

Logical, Step-by-step“Gives you the power to work through details and make it happen.”

Linear-Mode

Rich-ModeNon-linear, IntuitiveHolistic, AsynchronousNon-verbal (e.g. visual)

Cross-Disciplinary Feedback Loop

Get Comfortable SharingWork in progress

Get Comfortable Creating Lean Specs

Also…be sure you are doing a complete feedback loop…

ThinkMake

Check

When is a good time to x-pair?

Do this first…Big Picture Design/User Flow/Sketch-level UI

Ideal time to x-pair…During a sprint, solving a narrowly defined problem

Is it all roses?

Less or no continuous debuggingRisk of tunnel-vision/solving wrong problemDesigner/Developer dynamic can become stressful/aggravating

Case Study…

Mingle Planner

Product group at Agile software development company

Implementing Agile UX practices:• Design pattern libraries• Lo-fi sketches > interactive prototypes• Designing in the browser, refining in the

codebase

We require our UX designers to be unicorns technical (HTML/CSS/Javascript) and analytical

• Intervening in a project that lacked focus and a conceptual framework

• Collaborative sessions to map out high-level concepts, relationships, and organizing principles

• Analysis by design > rough sketch of key paths and UI

Case Study: Mingle Planner

Whiteboard Sketch:Product Concepts and Relationships

Interactive Pattern Library

• Leverage pattern library to (quickly) build out an interactive prototype (HTML/CSS/Javascript)

• User prototype to validate conceptual framework and UI framework

• Prototype becomes a living document/style guide for developers

• Designing in the browser > designing in the codebase

What we did

Interactive Prototype(HTML/CSS/jQuery/Highcharts)

Thanks!

Anders Ramsay - @andersramsayJef Bekes - @jbekesMike Long – sequence3@gmail.com

P.s. check out pairingproject.org