Agile design methodologies, specifically Scrum and Kanban, have effectively addressed unarticulated business needs through:
- Iterative development, and
- Customer collaboration principles.
Unarticulated business or customer needs refer to requirements or user stories that stakeholders or end-users have not explicitly identified or communicated.
These latent requirements may not be immediately discernible during the software development life cycle (SDLC) requirements gathering phase.
They may surface during the validation phase through usability testing or customer feedback sessions. Addressing these unmet needs can enhance the user experience and increase the software’s overall value proposition.
The agile design process divides the development cycle into small, manageable phases, commonly called iterations or sprints in Scrum and Work In Progress (WIP) in Kanban.
At the onset of each iteration, the development team collaborates with the customer, the product owner, to identify and prioritize the most crucial features or user stories for that specific iteration through techniques such as user story mapping.
Subsequently, the team develops, tests, and delivers software, utilizing test-driven development (TDD) and continuous integration (CI) that address these identified requirements.
This iterative approach to development also called the spiral or incremental model, allows for the rapid identification and addressing of issues as they arise.
The customer can provide feedback on the functioning software, known as the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The team can subsequently make necessary adjustments to address emerging needs.
Furthermore, the emphasis on customer collaboration, also known as co-creation, in Agile design plays a significant role in its success.
Agile development teams typically maintain close working relationships with customers throughout the development process through techniques such as pair programming and regular meetings such as daily stand-ups and sprint planning sessions.
This close collaboration allows the team to understand better the customer’s needs and requirements, including any requirements that may not have been identified upfront, also known as emergent requirements.