Dev conf 2017 - What is software product design

@jacdevos [email protected]

We are all product designers!



Who here builds software?


Software is still a new thing



Design Thinking

http://dschool.stanford.edu/

@jacdevos [email protected] monteronesteinerranch.files.wordpress.

com


Empathise:go out and learn about user needs


Define:frame the problem from user insights


Ideate:use all brains to get solutions


Prototype:create a representation we can show

(or taste!)


Test:test assumptions through user feedback


Iterate


Not a state, but a process

Not magic, but hard work

Learning about real user needs

Iterate and experiment… until its tasty

Design makes things “tasty”


What does this have to do with software products?


Software product development is often a pretty Wicked Problem


Big Bangsjust don’t work on Wicked Problems

ALICE NERR/THINKSTOCK


We need feedback tobuild better products

@jacdevos [email protected] software iteratively


Build

-> Code

Measure

-> Data

Learn

-> Ideas

Lean StartupMinimise the total time through the loop


But why should I care?I’m a programmer.

I’m not a startup with $100M!


Historical SDLC (vs mature engineering discipline)

Planning Requirements Design Programming Testing Deployment

Engineering Design Construction of Design


What Is Software Design?Jack W. Reeves (1992)


Real software is ones and zerosits incredibly cheap to build but incredibly expensive to design


Code is the ultimate design artefact


Code shows us• real complexity, cost and constraints

• flaws in our problem-solution fit

• the devil in the details


Coding and testing is part of the design process


Modern SDLC (vs mature engineering discipline)

Planning Requirements Design Programming Testing Deployment

Engineering DesignConstruction

of Design


#SoftwareConstructionMustFalldevelopment as construction

metaphor is broken


How would we devif we see it as design process?


Start with the design problem and not technologies


Small Releases to enable iteration


Design Improvement (Refactoring) and

System Metaphor (DDD) ensure code structure reflects product learning


Pair Programming is a design collaboration that creates

code that communicates intent


Simple Design and TDD make changes safer, easier


Continuous Integration gives early verification and allows change


DevOps automates construction -by enabling iteration, it enables design


Testing gives quick design feedback -validation is a key aspect of design



XP practices are product designenablers!


Don’t build software, design it!• Design is a iterative process to create Tasty Products

• Software product development is a Wicked Problem

• Design is a better model than Construction

• Code is our ultimate software design artifact

• XP, Testing and Continuous Delivery are design tools

• Software Developers are Product Designers


Don’t build software, design it!Questions?




Links:

Wicket Problems: http://www.leanessays.com/2002/01/wicked-problems.html?m=1

Waterfall 1970: https://www.cs.umd.edu/class/spring2003/cmsc838p/Process/waterfall.pdf

Code is Design: http://www.developerdotstar.com/mag/articles/reeves_design.html

Design Thinking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_thinking

Design School: http://dschool.stanford.edu

Design Sprint: http://www.thesprintbook.com

Lean Startup: http://theleanstartup.com/

Lean Startup meets design thinking: https://youtu.be/bvFnHzU4_W8

Extreme Programming: https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Programming-Explained-Embrace-

Change/dp/0321278658

Continuous Delivery: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321601912

http://www.leanessays.com/2002/01/wicked-problems.html?m=1

https://www.cs.umd.edu/class/spring2003/cmsc838p/Process/waterfall.pdf

http://www.developerdotstar.com/mag/articles/reeves_design.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_thinking

http://dschool.stanford.edu/

http://www.thesprintbook.com/

http://theleanstartup.com/

https://youtu.be/bvFnHzU4_W8

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Programming-Explained-Embrace-Change/dp/0321278658

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321601912