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UI/UX designer collaboration with Front end team

Last post 02:36 pm June 20, 2023 by Daniel Wilhite
2 replies
09:04 am June 20, 2023

Hello, I have a question regarding designer collaboration with a Frontend (even backend). 



I think we all have/had some issues with that, and there are many different methods to work. The main issue is that the designer is working not only with a product but with marketing, webpage, etc, and doesn't understand the product closely. I'm (PO) creating tasks for a designer to design some parts and after he's done I've attached that to FE tasks. Therefore, the designer doesn't understand the product and the code perfect so we have many questions that occurs during the Sprint. For example, sometimes designer does not understand UX, because he don't know the main features. Also, sometimes he doesn't add the specific button on the page while FE needs a buttons to request BE by clicking that and so on. 

Could you please share your methods and experiences working with designer and FE


11:08 am June 20, 2023

My advice is to concentrate on expressing business value on the Product Backlog so it is optimized Sprint by Sprint. Encourage the Developers, of which a UX specialist might be but one, to identify, inspect and adapt their own tasks. They are collectively accountable for the work they do, whether it be FE, BE, UX, design, coding, marketing, or whatever else is needed to maximize product value.


02:36 pm June 20, 2023

The Scrum Guide defines the Developers with this sentence.

Developers are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint.

Given your description, the designer would be a Developer. For the rest of my response, if I use the word Developers, I am including the designer in that group.

Are they being included in the refinement of Product Backlog Items?  Are they included in Sprint Planning?  Are they included in the Daily Scrum? All of these help to convey information that provide clarity to the work that is being done to improve the Product. 

I agree with @Ian's statements.  You should not be creating and assigning tasks. As Product Owner, you should be providing a Product Backlog that identifies the needed changes for a Product in a manner that anyone who reads it can understand.  That would include stakeholders as well as Developers.  Providing business value statements is easier for everyone to understand.  The Developers should be able to determine the work that is needed to satisfy the business value that is needed. 

You are describing what you believe to be an impediment that the Developers are facing.  Have you asked the Developers if they see it as one?  Having questions is not a problem in my opinion. I feel that questions coming up during the Sprint is a good thing because it shows that work is being done and new information is being uncovered that will help make the increment better.  You may be seeing a problem that they see as normal.

Another thing I want to elaborate on is refinement activities.  The kind of issues you think you are seeing are often addressed during refinement activities, before the Product Backlog Item is pulled into a Sprint Backlog by the Developers.  Having discussions about how they feel it best to implement a solution to a specific business value need will help to identify any external dependencies or missing infrastructure.  In your case, it could help the designer better understand what they need to provide in order for the solution to be complete. 


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