Week 10 (Research & Activity) - While we might not all have rich experiences with Agile methodologies or complex project management techniques, we have all found ourselves in a situation where we needed to get something done.
What did you do to ensure you had completed your tasks in time?
Be it a university assignment or a work-related task you found challenging to complete, what tactics and approaches did you employ to complete them successfully?
Given what you’ve learned about Agile and time management in this course thus far, do you think you could adapt your tactics to Agile methodologies?
Response:
Depending on the size of the project, I will use Kanban software such as HackNPlan to monitor and organize tasks into working weeks. Normally, I would work a fixed number of hours per week (suggested by the University/workplace). I often take a relaxed approach and complete work in my own time. For larger projects that are big in scope and involve other members, I would create a WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) and Gantt Chart to help oversee every task within a project (by department), starting at the proof-of-concept phase right through to post-production. Although, I often abandon the Kanban board during production as I am so focused on delivering the project by a set deadline. I would like to amend this action during future modules.
I like the Waterfall methodology of completing tasks in order and stages. I prefer adhering to Agile methodologies, as it allows for change and the option to revert and tinker stages. Moreover, I believe SCRUM (Figure 1) to be an incredibly effective and motivating (more so in teams) form of Agile. Adhering to Agile was extremely useful during the rapid ideation events as I maintained a healthy balance of work and relaxation as the methodology is proven to have a prime emphasis on people and goals. Therefore, I feel much calmer applying Agile methodologies with manageable bite-sized milestones, as opposed to Waterfall, where the defining stages are met with strict deadlines.
The Agile Movement by Belinda Waldock
Figure 1: The SCRUM Process (Porras, 2019)
This week's lecture is about the 'Agile' movement, discussed by 'Agile Guide' Belinda Waldock. Having researched the methodology in Week 1 (Time Management & Agile Development) and Week 9 (Game Conferences & Communities of Practice), I am confident I can discuss the movement in greater detail. Firstly, Waldock states that 'agile' is an umbrella term - it can be a mindset, culture or methodology. Agile was created to combat strict linear development methodologies such as 'Waterfall'. Waldock supports this by stating that agile is intended to break down a marathon into sprints, where one must continuously validate, test and work with the customer. Moreover, agilealliance.org defines agile as having "the ability to create and respond to change" (What is Agile Software Development?, 2022), further reinforcing the notion of continuous improvement.
In the past, I have participated in an agile methodology called SCRUM. However, I am concerned it was only really effective because the project involved multiple people. Michael Gant of Medium.com writes, "it is not possible for a solo developer to implement SCRUM. SCRUM is a team discipline" (Gant, 2019). On the other hand, Alex Andrews of raywenderlich.com states solo developers can still adhere to the principles of SCRUM. Having taken both arguments into account, I would still be willing to adhere to agile methodologies over more linear approaches. The ability to iterate on work and manage a backlog is far more appealing than having to meet strict deadlines in predefined phases (even more so as a solo developer).
Envisioning & Estimation
The second and third lectures this week are on the topic of envisioning and estimation by Alcwyn Parker. 'Envisioning' is about capturing the essence of a product by testing assumptions and building quick prototypes. It is a lightweight alternative to product charting. Cambridge Dictionary defines 'estimation' as a "guess or calculation about the cost, size, value, etc. of something". Therefore estimates are not commitments and are subject to change. Estimates can be measured using 'Ideal Days' or 'Story Points'.
Rapid Ideation (Envisioning)
Both rapid ideation events lacked planning and stable designs. I could have benefitted from envisioning the product before implementing concepts during production. Although I was able to create prototypes for each game, they were not given constructive feedback from myself or my peers until after they were both submitted. Nobody was brought into the fold, and without a solid idea in the initial stages, I could not produce an 'elevator pitch' for either project until later. I feel like this could have been resolved with more time, as implementation was my sole focus.
Time Management (Estimation)
Estimations should hit the target first and concrete on precision afterwards (Kayser, 2015). I believe I can only estimate how long a task would take if I could identify my work velocity prior (which would differ if multiple people were involved in the project). Therefore, I would participate in as many development projects as possible to identify my work velocity to then, in turn, achieve accurate estimations for future tasks.
Epics & User Stories
Figure 2: What are Epics, User Stories, and Story Points? (Online PM Courses - Mike Clayton, 2021)
Epics are a big chunk of work such as a business requirement, customer request or feature that is unlikely to be achieved in a single sprint, so it is broken down into multiple user stories (Figure 2).
Before this week, I had never heard of an 'Epic' before. After researching the topic, I believe 'Epics' and 'User Stories' can be used to bridge the gap between developer and consumer communication. I will consider using these techniques in future modules to establish a target audience and improve upon concepts and features. Although, I could see them being most effective if I targeted a specific area of game development, such as UI flow.
User Story (A Murder of Crows)
Figure 3: A Murder of Crows (User Story)
For this week’s challenge, I decided to create a user story for my first rapid ideation event, A Murder of Crows. I thought briefly about who might play this game/genre when developing the title. And so, without further ado, please meet ChairmanBenny777! (Figure 3) - Image generated by https://this-person-does-not-exist.com/en (Links to an external site.) (thanks to my peers!).
Conclusion & Reflection
In conclusion, the lectures from both Belinda Waldock about working with agile and Alcwyn Parker on envisioning and estimation were eye-opening. It made me consider how effective agile could be, even as a solo developer. Furthermore, Parker's advice on envisioning a product's finished state before its development would be something to consider going into future modules. Finally, the use of 'Epics' and 'User Stories' is significant while developing a product as it allows for communication between developer and consumer. This topic is new to me and something very much to consider for future modules such as 'Indie Game Start-Up' and the 'Final Major Project'.
References
Porras, A., 2019. Scrum Methodology for Digital Product Development. [online] The 4Geeks Blog. Available at: <https://blog.4geeks.io/scrum-for-digital-product-development/> [Accessed 11 April 2022].
Agile Alliance. 2022. What is Agile Software Development?. [online] Available at: <https://www.agilealliance.org/agile101/> [Accessed 11 April 2022].
Gant, M., 2019. Scrum and the Solo Dev. [online] Medium. Available at: <https://medium.com/@jmgant.cleareyeconsulting/scrum-and-the-solo-dev-fb8e810ed42b> [Accessed 11 April 2022].
Andrews, A., 2017. Scrum Of One: How to Bring Scrum into your One-Person Operation. [online] raywenderlich.com. Available at: <https://www.raywenderlich.com/585-scrum-of-one-how-to-bring-scrum-into-your-one-person-operation#toc-anchor-001> [Accessed 11 April 2022].
Dictionary.cambridge.org. 2022. Estimation. [online] Available at: <https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/estimation> [Accessed 11 April 2022].
Kayser, D., 2015. The Difference Between Accuracy and Precision in Scoping a Project. [online] Forecast. Available at: <https://www.forecast.app/blog/the-difference-between-accuracy-and-precision> [Accessed 11 April 2022].
Online PM Courses - Mike Clayton, 2021. What are Epics, User Stories, and Story Points?. [image] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogV2r9579WI&ab_channel=OnlinePMCourses-MikeClayton> [Accessed 11 April 2022].
Keith, C., 2010. The State of Agile in the Game Industry. [online] Gamasutra.com. Available at: <https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4295/the_state_of_agile_in_the_game_.php> [Accessed 12 April 2022].
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