The Limits of Iterative Development
by Hugh Beyer
October 21st, 2011 One of the ongoing questions in Agile development is whether and how much up-front design needs to be done. Many practitioners have cited the need for some high-level design, but the most extreme of Agile purists say none at all. These folks sometimes cite evolution to bolster their case that you don’t need design to develop complex systems. This short, somewhat tongue-in-cheek video captures my response:Tags: Agile, design, hugh, process
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1 Comment
Right on.
I think Jim Highsmith’s point about oscillation vs iteration is also relevant here. http://jimhighsmith.com/2011/12/08/oscillation-versus-iteration/. Some design work up front helps you map out a path so you avoid the worst of the oscillation, in my view.
I like Tim Harford’s Adapt as nice exploration of iteration in the market, and how fraught with trouble it has been historically.
Best,
Don
Comment by Donald Cox — December 14, 2011 @ 12:39 pm