storybox - a story of getting things done the agile way
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StoryBox | A Story of getting things done the agile way
Adrian LiemJuly 2013
STORYBOXA story of getting things donethe agile way
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
1. Background of UBC2. The Ask3. Our Approach4. The Result5. Lessons learned6. Questions
Overview
UBC : The University of British Columbia
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Not to be confused with... ”BC” - Boston College a university in Central America University Baptist Church Union of the Baltic Cities United BioSource Corporation Uganda Broadcasting Corporation
THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIAUBC
VANCOUVER
KELOWNA
VANCOUVER
KELOWNA
UBC
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
The University of British Columbia 2 campuses: Vancouver and Kelowna, BC, Canada 57,706 students 8,440 international students from 149 countries 11,836 degrees granted 275,000 alumni in 120 countries 10,186 faculty and 6,716 sta� $2 billion annual operating budget $519 million per year in research funding for 7,990 projects 153 companies spun o� from UBC research $10 billion in economic impact
Marketing & Communications
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
UBC Pre-2012 Coordinated by Public A�airs (with limited mandate) Strong focus on media relations Some university-wide initiatives (Re-branding 2007) No formal, central Marcomm team
At the best of times: informal, internal collaboration At the worst of times...
FIEFDOMS IN AN EMPIRE
http://www.flickr.com/photos/glodjib/
Marcomm at UBC
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
De-centralized, distributed, dispersed 150+ sta� with part or full-time responsibility for marcomm spread across two campuses, multiple satellite locations no direct line of reporting to central no central unit with formal responsibility for university-wide marketing communications strategy
2012: A new beginning
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Communicationsand Marketing O�ce Brand team Design team Web team P+ Digital Storyteller+ Market Researcher
Public A�airsO�ce Media Specialists Brand team Design team Web team Photographer {
UBC Communications and Marketing
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Our Raison D’Etre
Bring our brand to life
Compel our target audiences to engage with the university
Enable an integrated distributed model of marcomm
Integrated whatnow?
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
“Integrated Distributed” Autonomous entities with formalized ties to central initiatives Some dual-line reporting, some restructuring Increased level of collaboration and internal communication (ask us again in two years)
Elevate through Storytelling
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Our Goals Improve our storytelling CAPACITY Build our storytelling MUSCLE Increase storytelling COLLABORATION
The Blessing
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
UBC is story-rich
The CurseUBC is story-rich
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
How can wefind the best waysto tell the right storiesto our target audiences?
How can wefind the best waysto tell the right storiesto our target audiences?
The Needs
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Problems we’re trying to solve What stories should we tell in this year’s annual report? Who else within UBC is writing a story on social sustainability? What has already been written about Professor X? Our President is travelling to Asia - what stories can he tell about UBC’s involvement in the Asia Pacific region? How can we elevate and shine a light on the best stories from the pockets of campus?
The “ask”:
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Help me find UBC stories.
I’m looking for... Our best stories Stories about [insert field of research] Stories relevant to [insert target audience] Stories happening in [insert international location] Stories demonstrating [insert strategic pillar] Stories with photos / video Fully-fleshed out stories, but also the seeds of an idea for a story
Build me a “stories database”
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Situation Analysis Unclear and undefined requirements We don’t know what we don’t know No idea how many stories we have about what/whom No direct connections to many of our story sources Complex organizational environment Embedded culture of decentralization Juggling multiple projects with limited resources Need a working solution in 3 months
Traditional Approach
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
One Step at a Time Discovery + Research User Experience Design Develop + Produce Test > Refine > Test Release + Take to Market
Like a waterfall
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Planning
Analysis
DesignImplementation
Maintenance
Waterfall Method
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Stages Discovery + Research User Experience Design Develop + Produce Test > Refine > Test Release + Take to Market
Deliverables Project Brief, Strategy IA structure, Wireframes Mockups/Comps “Beta” site, Content QA notes Big splash campaign
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Waterfall
StrengthsLinearClear steps
Well-definedDiscrete stages, defined roles
PredictableFixed timeframe, fixed budgets
Planning
Analysis
DesignImplementation
Maintenance
A JUGGERNAUT
http://www.flickr.com/photos/justingood/
WaterfallRisks
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Success hinges on each stage before it Requirements can change rapidly Small margin for error Di�cult and costly to change course midway Learning and knowledge transfer is limited
Project-Specific Risks
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Decentralized Environment.Face many unknowns, takes time to capture full set of needs.
Technically, easy. Organizationally, very hard.Need widespread participation.High risk of being thrown a loopball midway through.
Short timeframe.Don’t have much time to turn-ship.
Our Strategy
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Confront the Challenges Head-On Involve our end-users in the process Actively solicit and be receptive to feedback Build prototypes to help define the scope Be prepared to change course, to “pivot”
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
What’s the alternative?
AGILE!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bortescristian/
Agile
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
aagile
Quick, light, nimble
AAgile
Software development methodswhere solutions evolve throughan iterative and incrementalapproach.
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Our Approach
a A
DISCLAIMER
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
I agile.(but I’m not Spiderman)
Agile
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Basics Reaction to heavyhanded nature of waterfall methods
An iterative and incremental approach
People and interactions over processes and tools
Cross-functional, self-organizing teams
”Customer collaboration”
Build working solutions that can be immediately evaluated
Adapt and respond to change
Agile
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Key Principles Reaction to heavyhanded nature of waterfall methods
An iterative and incremental approach
People and interactions over processes and tools
Cross-functional, self-organizing teams
”Customer collaboration”
Build working solutions that can be immediately evaluated Adapt and respond to change
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
People over Processes + Tools(But there are still Processes + Tools)
User Stories
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Short, simple descriptions of a featuretold from the perspective of the personwho desires the new capability.
User Stories
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
The Template:
As a [type of user],I want [some goal],so that [some reason].
As a [type of user],I want [some goal],so that [some reason].
User Stories
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Example
As an Editor for a campus publication,
I want to be able to search for stories by date,
so that I can find stories for our back-to-school edition.
Example
As an Editor for a campus publication,
I want to be able to search for stories by date,
so that I can find stories for our back-to-school edition.
User Stories
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
User
Goal
Reason
As a [type of user],I want [some goal],so that [some reason].
Person
Feature
Benefit (motivation)
Example
As an Editor for a campus publication,
I want to be able to search for stories by date,
so that I can find stories for our back-to-school edition.
As a [type of user],I want [some goal],so that [some reason].
User Stories
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
User Stories
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Form + Formats Sticky notes, index cards, spreadsheets, online tools
http://www.flickr.com/photos/expatminister/
The Value of User Stories
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Benefits Captures desired features in a simple, concise way Simplifies task of gathering requirements Shifts focus from writing about requirements to discussing them enabling the team to respond faster
Scrums
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Rugby: An analogy- scrum to get the ball- sprint- pass the ball back + forth- go the distance as a unit
http://www.�ickr.com/photos/muzzanese/
Scrums in Agile
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Scrum: A model for organizing meetings
Planning Meeting Meetings to organize cycles of work aka “Sprint Planning Meeting” Pick user stories to build out during the next “sprint”
Daily Scrums Timeboxed meeting to provide status updates What did you work on? What are you going to work on? What obstacles do you face?
Sprints in Agile
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Sprints: When the work happens
Timeboxed 1 sprint = 1 week to 1 month Most common length of a sprint: 2 weeks
Outcomes Set of new features Designed, developed, tested, ready for release
1 sprint = 1 cycle of work, the next “set” of features
Agile
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
SCRUMDecide what you’re going to do.
SPRINTDo it.
Scrum Sprint Scrum Sprint Scrum
“Product Backlog”
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Formalized User Stories
Product Backlog
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Person Feature Benefit
Grooming the Backlog
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Some stories are “epics” and will take morethan 1 sprint.
ExampleAs a Writer, when I add a new story about socialsustainability, I want the system to email ourphotographer, and our Public A�airs o�ce, andeveryone who needs to know about the story.
Breaking down an “epic”
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
As a Writer, I want the ability to tag a story with, for example thewords “social sustainability”, so that I can describe my story asspecifically as I can.
As a Writer, I want the system to notify other people that I haveadded a story they might be interested in, so that they can readmy story and then decide if they can use it for their own work.
As an Editor, I want the ability to be notified when a particulartype of story, for example a story about “social sustainability”,has been added to the system, so that I can stay on top of thelatest stories as soon as they’re released.
Person
Feature
Benefit (motivation)
Example
As a Writer,
I want the ability to tag a story with, for example the words“social sustainability”,
so that I can describey my story as specifically as I can.
As a [type of user],I want [some goal],so that [some reason].
User Stories
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Product Backlog
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Status + PriorityBroader Feature Set / Epics
Great! Let’s build it!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cabbit/
If you build it...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mindus/
... ... ...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferbatty/
Agile beyond software
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Where? Internal consultations Workshops
What? Cross-functional teams Feedback loops Respond to change
Buy-in
Agile beyond software...
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Collaboration
Why?
Cross-functionalTeams
Knowledge Exchange
Agile beyond software...
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Why?
(we find out what we don’t know)
Why?Agile beyond software...
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Increases collaboration, collaboration encourages buy-in Cross-functional teams increases knowledge exchange Able to adapt to feedback and change Able to test hypotheses before investing too much time
Agile approach to Workshops
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Facilitate cross-functional collaboration Set up the physical space to support discussions (mini scrums) Explicitly talk about the desire for feedback, iterations, cycles Incorporate feedback Describe what has changed each time (proof points) Experiment, be prepared to change on the fly
Outcomes
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
What we thought we needed
Structured categorization system (Taxonomy)
Open-ended tagging system (Folksonomy)
Open-ended meta-data
Outcomes
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
What we actually needed
Structured categorization system (Taxonomy)
Open-ended tagging systems (Folksonomyies)
Open-ended meta-data
+ To build a shared understanding of a “story”
+ Technology to enable workflows not replace them
Multiple
(that could grow over time)
Specific
Hierarchy of Needs
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
(thanks Maslow)
Hierarchy of Needs
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Decentralized Environment+
Di�erent Sets of Needs
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Open Tags Structured Categories
Local Needs Institutional Needs
OpenTags
StructuredCategories
Local Institutional
Bingo!
Aligning our Needs + Goals
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
(i Venn diagrams)
Great! Let’s build it!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cabbit/
WordPress
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Why? Suitable Core features align well with overall goals + needs Familiar and easy to use Many sta� already using WordPress Internal expertise in WordPress development Higher probability of adoption Sustainable Technical infrastructure already in place Flexible Well-suited for rapid iterations and revisions
WordPress
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Basic Setup w/ Customizations Custom Theme Custom post type: “Stories” Custom taxonomies Open-ended tags Managed categorization
WordPress: Add New Post
StoryBox: Add New Story
Story Attributes
TaxonomyStructured categorizationReflects institutional attributes
an institutional lens
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
FolksonomyMultiple folksonomiesOpen-ended taggingGrows based on specific, unique needs
the local perspectives
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
LocalPerspective
InstitutionalLens
Bingo!
StoryBox Results
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Zero to working prototype in 1 month
Within 6 months: 500+ stories 139 people 68 units (departments, o�ces)
Actively used for the 2012/2013 Annual Report
StoryBox Next Steps
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Not all roses... Pressing need to better understand local/distributed needs and interests
Phase 2 Build further into day-to-day workflows Tie in to broader storytelling strategy
Agile - Why it worked for us
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
Well-defined goals, unknown “end product” We knew the problem well, we weren’t sure about the solution
Scratching our own itch We had direct access to our “end users” We were a sub-set of our end users
Right team, right infrastructure We had people willing to be agile and to try Agile We had a suitable technical infrastructure in place
Considering Agile?
StoryBox | A story of getting things done the agile way
What to look for “In-house” projects Have “T-Shaped” people who work well in teams Undefined scope, unclear end product Need for speed, short timeframes Direct access to target market
StoryBox | A Story of getting things done the agile way
Thank you!
Adrian [email protected]@adrianliem