Summary

BUG-LEGO is a practice to build a tiny structure which is representation of a software bug. Those are build with LEGO blocks and placed in the team’s workspace. LEGO bricks are represented as the priority, dependency, difficulty of software bugs by developer. It is a kind of information radiator.

BUG-LEGO has three benefits.

1. Intuitive visualization of the quantity of software bugs for everyone.
2. Changing mindset of developer from negative to positive against software bugs.
3. Providing the physical constraint of the building plate.

Material

I have already uploaded the material on slideshare.

http://www.slideshare.net/kkd/tangible-bug-tracking-using-lego-bricks-in...

The demo software, presentation as bricks, bug-lego on trac, aren’t public now. If you’d like to use them, please contact me.

Description

BUG-LEGO was devised to reveal our software bugs hidden in BTS system.
It was useful for us to show them, moreover, we have seen more than benefits.

First is similar to traditional sticky notes on a wall. But BUG-LEGO is more interesting for visitor.

Second is a important thing. Developers tend to deal with bug negatively. However, they enjoy to do bug, because Representation of LEGO bricks are creative task, and Destruction of them and Throwing them into the box are pleasure. What’s more, the sound of building, destruction and throwing make people who are in the room awake to the bugs.

Third is that the plate has limitation of space, so developer must fix bugs. BTS is useful, but veil bugs in the unlimited storage.

Of course, we are using BTS (Trac). And tickets are stored as detailed information. But tickets stored in BTS are less visible and noticable than BUG-LEGO.

The workflow of BUG-LEGO:

• Find bug
• Report it on BTS
• Build a tiny structure
  • Priority is represented as horizontal location.
  • Dependency is represented as vertical location.
  • Difficulty is represented as shape.
• Put the ticket’s id on LEGO
• Sign up for BUG-LEGO
• Bring it your desk
• Fix bug
• Destroy BUG-LEGO and throw them into the box

As we know it, quality is one of the most important goals in engineering processes. For example, CI, Pair programming, TDD/BDD are the practices used to achieve better quality. Keeping it in mind, we’d like to make rather dull tasks into more enjoyable, somewhat positive, activities.

I would like to tell about my experience in using “BUG-LEGO”, and suggest more tangible practice on software development.

I made a speech about the practice on 2007, 2008 in Japan.

• http://www.jasst.jp/archives/jasst07e/pdf/A4-1.pdf
• http://www.slideshare.net/kkd/jasst-20080130