A design handoff guide for software development
Imran, Muhammad (2018)
Imran, Muhammad
Laurea-ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2018121020648
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2018121020648
Tiivistelmä
In order to build a consistent and aesthetically pleasing user interface, communication between developers and designers is vital. This thesis project utilizes action research to show how a design handoff checklist can improve the communication between developers and designers and therefore the efficiency of the entire development process. This required the creation of a design hand off checklist that was then implemented to the development team to see whether it made the development process more efficient. The experiment was conducted in collaboration with a Finnish software company developing a survey tool. Due to confidentiality, the company name is not mentioned in the thesis.
Because the handoff process is a matter of experience, this thesis project used an action research approach in order to experiment with the design handoff checklist. The research was conducted through observation of the handoff process in the company both before and after the implementation of the handoff checklist along with interviews with both parties. The interviews conducted before implementation helped shape the final checklist supported by a literature survey of practices utilized elsewhere. The interviews that followed the implementation of the checklist on the other hand measured the experience of both designers and developers in order to assess whether the checklist succeeded in improving the development process.
The design handoff checklist was extremely successful. Interview results showed that both designers and developers benefited from the use of the checklist. The development process became more efficient as communication was improved and repetition of work was decreased. 89% of the development team believed that the checklist made their work easier. The designers complained about the extra work caused by the careful planning of the handoff document, but 50% of the design team still agreed that with this extra effort, work didn’t need to be repeated and designs came out as originally intended.
The thesis contains six parts. First, the company and ongoing project along with the thesis objectives are laid out in the introduction. The second chapter gives an overview of the theoretical background in the matter of design handoff. The third chapter explains the research methods utilized in the thesis project and the fourth chapter presents how the checklist came together based on the literature survey and research within the company. The fifth chapter then presents the results of the experiment by analyzing interviews conducted after the implementation of the design handoff checklist. Finally, the sixth chapter concludes the thesis.
Because the handoff process is a matter of experience, this thesis project used an action research approach in order to experiment with the design handoff checklist. The research was conducted through observation of the handoff process in the company both before and after the implementation of the handoff checklist along with interviews with both parties. The interviews conducted before implementation helped shape the final checklist supported by a literature survey of practices utilized elsewhere. The interviews that followed the implementation of the checklist on the other hand measured the experience of both designers and developers in order to assess whether the checklist succeeded in improving the development process.
The design handoff checklist was extremely successful. Interview results showed that both designers and developers benefited from the use of the checklist. The development process became more efficient as communication was improved and repetition of work was decreased. 89% of the development team believed that the checklist made their work easier. The designers complained about the extra work caused by the careful planning of the handoff document, but 50% of the design team still agreed that with this extra effort, work didn’t need to be repeated and designs came out as originally intended.
The thesis contains six parts. First, the company and ongoing project along with the thesis objectives are laid out in the introduction. The second chapter gives an overview of the theoretical background in the matter of design handoff. The third chapter explains the research methods utilized in the thesis project and the fourth chapter presents how the checklist came together based on the literature survey and research within the company. The fifth chapter then presents the results of the experiment by analyzing interviews conducted after the implementation of the design handoff checklist. Finally, the sixth chapter concludes the thesis.