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We use the Agile Scrum development methodology to produce most of our work, particularly for larger, complex projects. Using, Agile Scrum, the project team (Us) organizes project work into a series of design and development cycles. The main benefit for the product owner (You) is a bird's eye view of the project throughout the development life cycle.

Other Advantages of Scrum

In addition the transparency Agile Scrum provide our clients, there are many of benefits of using this development methodology. Here are just a few.

• Emphasizes rapid and iterative design and development, meaning you see, view and provide feedback on project work sooner rather than later
• Makes client feedback an integral and necessary part of the project process
• Promotes collaboration between the product owner and the project team
• Breaks down features into specific tasks, providing intimate detail and accurate projection of milestone and launch dates

How it Works

The Agile / Scrum framework has three general roles for project participants,

• Product Owner (You)
• Project Team Members (e.g. Designers and Developers)
• Scrum Master (or Project Manager)
• Stakeholders (just about anyone else who uses the site)

In general,

• Product Owners set the priorities for the product
• Team Members build the product
• The Scrum Master oversees the process
• Stakeholders pitch in when necessary to provide user feedback

Within the Agile Scrum framework, projects progress through a series of iterations called Sprints. A type Sprint is timed to last from between 2 weeks to 1 month and contains a predetermined number of features to design and develop, for example,

• User registration
• Payment gateway
• Management Bios

with each feature broken down into component parts, such as

• Click "Register Now" button
• Input name and email address into corresponding fields
• Click "Submit" button

The features placed into a Sprint depend on factors such as

• Relatedness  (e.g. Product Browsing and Recommended Products)
• Dependencies (e.g. Registration and Log in)
• Launch requirements (e.g. Homepage - Sprint 1, Privacy Policy - Sprint 5)

as well as any number of client and vendor requirements.

At the start of each sprint, team members commit to completing X amount of features during the Sprint. At the end of each sprint, the team produces a usable product increment — i.e. working, high-quality software.  Each Sprint is reviewed during a demonstration of the Sprint’s features. The goal of this review is to derive feedback from the product owner and stakeholders. This feedback may result in changes to the freshly delivered work product, or just as likely, result in revising or adding items to the next Sprint.

And so it goes, Sprint to Sprint, sprinting toward a successful launch.