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This entry is the second in a series of three, which describe the workshops I facilitated at Agile 2008.  The full description/original submission of this session can be seen on the Agile 2008 submissions board: Fashion Cycle. 

This session, a mashup of Scrum, Artful Making and Project Runway was an attempt to see how people would work in a non-software environment given some vague, but hopefully enthusiastic requirements.  I believe that a Scrum approach to any new product development is natural, and even inevitable.  It is predefined process that prevents us following a natural, meandering path to an innovative and imaginative solution.  It is the urge to be in control and a fear of failure that forces us to demand answers up front rather than allowing a solution to unfold, organically.  Having software developers and project managers create fashion clothing was a way to avoid the old ways of thinking.  This was new territory.

To begin the session I described the four Artful Making principles of Release, Collaboration, Ensemble and Play and summarized these as big posters on the wall.   I then introduced the Stacey Diagram, focusing on the fact that the project we were about to embark on existed in the complex space, i.e. the requirements were sketchy and we were working with new technology (needles, thread, sewing machines, fabric…).  I briefly outlined the principles of an empirical process and stressed the importance of reflection to inspect and adapt.  We set an iteration time of thirty minutes and then began the projects.

There were two teams of 6/7 people.  Each team had two customers, Alan and Stacia with Team A and Samira and Kate with Team B.  Team A were to make two outfits, one for each customer, while Team B focused on a single outfit for Samira.  Kate’s role became that of an advisor and customer consultant on the empirical process, as Samira had limited experience of this way of working.

Each team was obliged to use the Agile2008 conference tee shirt as part of their outfit.  There were no other boundaries.

As much as possible I did not enforce any Scrum practices, but let the teams find their own way.  Naturally, this being Agile2008, most participants had some experience of this way of working, but even so it came to light that this was tough.  The empirical approach is natural, but it requires discipline to make it optimal.  Lyssa Adkins has written about her experience of being on one of the teams on her blog, cricketwing.

Of course, the customers changed their minds frequently, rejected ideas, came up with new ones and in collaboration with the teams ultimately came up with solutions that were both practical and satisfying.  By the end of the session we did indeed have three outfits.  Stacia’s one was a little rushed at the end and probably lacked some quality, but the other two were entirely satisfactory.  Samira’s off-the-shoulder dress and accessories, made from four conference and corporate tee-shirts was probably the most successful outfit.  Samira wore it to the banquet on the final day, to many a complimentary comment.

Enjoy the pictures — and click to view the full size versions.