Many agencies have become frustrated with over-specced sequential waterfall projects. Their inflexible methodologies have too often led to outcomes that didn’t realize their full potential. In contrast, agile methods like Scrum and Kanban have proven successful ways to build and run software. But how do you apply agile methods to the reality of an agency’s project based work? There are many challenges and the most crucial question is: what if our ideal work method and our clients’ realities don’t match? Edenspiekermann have been working agile since 2009. They’ve since achieved terrific results and have never looked back. They now employ about as many developers as designers, creating meaningful digital products and services for global clients like Red Bull, Cisco Systems, The Economist and the German and Dutch Railways. Christian will talk about the often challenging contrast between wanting to deliver the best possible product and making sure you’re satisfying the client’s internal project needs. How to deliver excellent customer satisfaction while working as agile as possible? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christian is the guy designers are ambivalent about. He’s not a font guy. He’s the business guy—the one who works the odd hours creating and maintaining relationships with some of the largest companies in the world. Over the past decade, he has led business development efforts for numerous agencies on three continents.

1. Adapting the Agile Agency
to Clients’ Realities
edenspiekermann_

2. berlin amsterdam los angeles san francisco singapore
edenspiekermann_ @herr_ttz@herr_ttz

3. guten tag.
i’m christian.
@herr_ttz

4. human!
Who is Edenspiekermann?

5. 120 people.

6. five offices.

7. one attitude.
(edenspiekermann.com/manifesto)

8. Heard of our founder?

9. typomaniac …

10. We shape brands with user-centric design.

12. People
Brand
Products Services
The promise
of a social interaction
The delivery
on that promise
of a social interaction

13. ProductsServices PeopleBrand
+ = Business

14. What is a great brand experience?

15. Presentation title here xx.xx.xxxxedenspiekermann_ 15
• Useful
• Easy
• Enjoyable
• Satisfying

16. What is a great brand experience?
• Useful
• Easy
• Enjoyable
• Satisfying
not useless
not complicated
not frustrating
not depressing

21. Supervisory Board Meeting 10.06.2014edenspiekermann_ 21

22. Supervisory Board Meeting 10.06.2014edenspiekermann_ 22

23. Supervisory Board Meeting 10.06.2014edenspiekermann_ 23

26. To build a great experience

27. To build a great experience
put people in the center of what you do.

28. User testing

29. User testing
means talking to people.

30. Building a great experience
@herr_ttz

31. Building a great experience

33. Products do not fail because they
are technically broken,

34. they fail because nobody needs them.
Products do not fail because they
are technically broken,

35. at home
at Akira’s
place
Tokyo
airport
transfer
Frankfurt
Schiphol
airport
Do we still
have time to get
something
to eat?
edenspiekermann_ @herr_ttz

36. Building a Great Experience

37. edenspiekermann_ @herr_ttz

38. edenspiekermann_

39. edenspiekermann_
The Queen Us

40. Your Job:
To deal with change.

41. @herr_ttz
It’s not
complicated.

42. It’s complex.

43. Analysis
Concept
Design
Implementation
Go-Live
The Waterfall

44. The Waterfall

45. Scrum

47. The Roles
In Scrum
The Product Owner
manages the product
The Scrum Master
manages the process
The Team
manages itself

48. Why did we go agile?

49. We want to be the best
partner for our clients’
most exciting projects.

50. Exciting projects today:
Complex.
Cross-Discipline.
Cross-Platform.
Long-Term.
Constantly Changing.

51. No more spec sheets.

52. If you want to create
relevance in a very fast
changing world, work
agile.

53. But Christian, why is
this difficult?

54. We have a client!
Duh!

55. Every client is different.

56. Every client is different.
Every project is different.

57. But we also have to be agile evangelists.
You cannot ignore your clients’
processes, requirements and realities.

58. 1_
Build your
clients’ trust.

59. “Communication is key.”

60. Waterfall Predicts Agile Forecasts
Pretty accurate!“NO”stradamus

61. The client wants a website.

62. The client wants a website.
(You should probably build them a website.)

63. Scope change?
You can handle it.

64. 2_
You need to
operate within
your clients’
budgets.

65. Fast
Cheap
Good
Pick Two

66. Budget
Timeline
Features
Pick Two

67. 3_Clients need care.

68. But they also want a promotion.
Or a bonus.
Or a pat on the back.
(And sometimes you just want to have some fun
together ❤)
Yes, they want a great product…

69. Nervous about launch deliverables?
The scrum master will walk your client
through the progress.
Scrum
Master

70. Worried about
the prototype?
Have them come over,
and test it together.
Our clients
Scrum Master
Andrea

71. Don’t hide
progress
Always let your client
know where you stand.

72. 4_
Make your clients part of
the team.

73. Client
Creative
Client
Team
Dev
Account
UX
Strategy
Waterfall Agile

74. Two Product Owners = double the fun

75. Design thinking
with clients
You’ll gain better insight by
letting clients solve
problems, then analyzing
their solutions.

76. edenspiekermann_edenspiekermann_ @robertstulle
The clients

77. edenspiekermann_
The whole team

78. edenspiekermann_
The CEO

79. There is no such thing as a dumb client.

80. 5_
Respect your clients’
deadlines.

81. Deadlines are a reality.
You’ll have to deliver.

82. But what you deliver
exactly is adapted on a
daily basis.

83. Work with a transparent
prioritized backlog
Sprint
Release
Future
Releases
Priority

84. You’ll know early on if
there’s a potential delivery
issue.
Delivery Quality Assurance
Prototype Updates
Daily Rituals

85. 6_
Enforce
interdisciplinary
teams.

86. A typical project?

87. Run by IT.

88. Managed by Marketing.

89. Requirements
from Sales.

90. And HR.

91. And the London office.

92. Oh, and the China team.

93. Launching in two months.

94. With a global
brand campaign.

95. New hosting company.

96. Develop copy with
the PR agency!

97. Make sure
it’s SEO compatible!!

98. We need videos!!!

99. Ugh.

100. You have to work in teams of
different experts.

101. You have to work in teams of
different experts.
Or with your clients’ in-house
teams.

102. Don’t design a
website…
… without a
developer by
your side.

103. 7_
Investing in your culture
will be good for your
client’s bottom line.

104. An agile mindset is embedded in
company rituals.

105. Maker Days

106. Brainfood

107. Design/Dev Couch

108. Thrive on your rituals.
Love a good balance of
work and play.

109. edenspiekermann_edenspiekermann_

110. edenspiekermann_edenspiekermann_

111. Working agile means being agile.

112. As agencies, we must
constantly adapt to our
clients’ realities.

113. It only works if we stay true
to ourselves. Our
philosophy. Our culture.

114. edenspiekermann_
Thank you_
604 Arizona Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90401
(323) 373 3533
www.edenspiekermann.com