Managing Design Work Across Multiple Sprints in Scrum
Effectively managing design work that spans multiple Sprints is crucial for maintaining the flow and coherence of the development process. This requires strategic planning and integration of design activities within the Scrum framework to ensure continuous progress and alignment with the product vision.
Exam Question
The best way to manage design work that lasts more than one Sprint is:
(choose the best answer)
A. Break the Design work into Product Backlog items that can be completed within a Sprint.
B. Keep the Design Team totally separate and work with development after product discovery and validation is complete.
C. The UX Designer can work with the Product Owner helping with Vision and User data gathering in an effort to build and order the Product Backlog.
D. Carry the unfinished design work from Sprint to Sprint until complete.
Correct Answer
A. Break the Design work into Product Backlog items that can be completed within a Sprint.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A. Break the Design work into Product Backlog items that can be completed within a Sprint:
Breaking down design work into smaller, manageable Product Backlog Items (PBIs) that can be completed within a Sprint aligns with the Scrum framework’s iterative and incremental approach. This method ensures that each Sprint delivers potentially shippable increments of work, maintaining a steady flow of progress and allowing for continuous feedback and adaptation.
Why the Other Options Are Less Effective
B. Keep the Design Team totally separate and work with development after product discovery and validation is complete:
Separating the design team from development contradicts the principles of Scrum, which emphasize cross-functional teams working collaboratively. This separation can lead to misalignment, delays, and reduced efficiency in addressing user needs.
C. The UX Designer can work with the Product Owner helping with Vision and User data gathering in an effort to build and order the Product Backlog:
While collaboration between the UX Designer and the Product Owner is valuable, it is not sufficient on its own to manage design work that spans multiple Sprints. Design tasks still need to be broken down into smaller PBIs to be effectively managed within the Scrum framework.
D. Carry the unfinished design work from Sprint to Sprint until complete:
Carrying unfinished work from Sprint to Sprint goes against the Scrum principle of delivering potentially shippable increments at the end of each Sprint. It can lead to a backlog of incomplete work, reducing the team’s ability to adapt and respond to feedback effectively.
Benefits of Breaking Down Design Work
- Incremental Delivery: Ensures continuous progress and delivery of valuable increments.
- Improved Collaboration: Promotes collaboration between designers and developers, aligning efforts towards common goals.
- Enhanced Flexibility: Allows for ongoing feedback and adjustments, improving the final product’s quality.
- Risk Mitigation: Reduces the risk of large, unfinished work items by delivering smaller, complete pieces of work.
Relevance to the PSU I Exam
Understanding how to manage design work within the Scrum framework is crucial for the PSU I exam. It highlights the importance of integrating design activities into the iterative and incremental process of Scrum, ensuring continuous delivery and alignment with user needs.
Key Takeaways
- Breaking down design work into smaller PBIs that can be completed within a Sprint is the best approach.
- Collaboration between designers and developers is essential for effective Scrum practices.
- Incremental delivery of design work ensures ongoing progress and adaptability.
Conclusion
Effectively managing design work across multiple Sprints involves breaking it down into smaller, manageable PBIs that can be completed within a Sprint. This approach aligns with Scrum principles, promoting continuous delivery, collaboration, and flexibility. For more information on preparing for the PSU I exam, visit our Professional Scrum with UX PSU I™ Exam Prep.
