program selection system

Program Description:

Evidence is mounting that Agile adoption is finally mainstream, so what’s next?

This panel draws the discussion away from process and technology to focus on what we build, not just how we build it. Panelists discuss the important role of product innovation and debate philosophies about how to source innovation. The panel tackles questions like what role Agile plays in helping or hampering product innovation; should innovation come from designers, customers, or elsewhere; where does product design meet product innovation; and how do we deliver innovation?

Submission Abstract:

For years software conferences have buzzed with innovation. We’ve witnessed innovation in the forms of waterfalls, spirals, maturity models, unified processes, modeling languages, structured methods, Object-Orientation, extreme programming, and Agility. At some point, though, shouldn’t we focus on product innovation? If so, who is responsible for making product innovation happen?

With the high adoption rate of Agile, now is a great time to shift our attention from process innovation to product innovation. Nobody buys a new TV because it was developed with the latest process.

Agile delivery teams sometimes expect product innovation to “just happen” with Agile projects. Rapid feedback, stakeholder involvement, user stories, and daily stand-ups are terrific but they won’t necessarily drive product innovation. Techniques like Concept-driven design and Outside-in product development are used in other industries to drive product innovation but are slow to be adapted for software.

This panel hits the product innovation issue at full speed. Some panelists will challenge the basic assumption that product innovation isn’t part of the typical Agile project. The audience will hear thoughtful opinionated panelists exchange ideas about how to obtain the best innovation results and whether innovation should be sourced from users and customers, from genius product designers, or from other mechanisms. What approach wins between social innovation democracies and competitive design? Are they even different anymore?

A major question for the panel will be, CAN CUSTOMERS AND USERS DESIGN INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS? How wise it is to use customers/users as product owners? Agile teams place customers and users in roles where they make key product design decisions, often without any product design training. How innovative are the results? Some panelists will argue that customers and users are not qualified as product designers and, for that matter, neither are engineers. Innovation injects itself into a product when designers are forced to solve everyday problems differently. “How can I give them a scroll bar without giving them a scroll bar?” (See the iPhone). Other panelists will strongly disagree with this point of view.