Title: Software product innovation in agile usability teams: an analytical framework of social capital, network governance, and usability knowledge management

Authors: Jeremy T. Barksdale; D. Scott McCrickard

Addresses: Department of Computer Science, Center for Human Computer Interaction, Virginia Tech, 2202 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg VA 24060-0902, USA. ' Department of Computer Science, Center for Human Computer Interaction, Virginia Tech, 2202 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg VA 24060-0902, USA

Abstract: As the practice of software engineering matures, project teams are leveraging the expertise of those with a background in other domains such as usability. This paper proposes a model and agenda for understanding and improving social interaction on agile usability software teams. We argue that social interaction on multidisciplinary agile usability teams, as a means to integrating the software development and usability domains, impacts how usability knowledge is managed, and thus, software product innovation. This work contributes: 1) a background, analysis, and discussion of the various agile usability integration strategies to-date; 2) a model for investigating the social interaction in agile usability teams; 3) a research, practice, and policy agenda for future work toward improving the social interaction in multidisciplinary agile usability software teams.

Keywords: agile usability; agile software development; ASD; usability engineering; social capital; network governance; usability knowledge management; agility; product innovation; software products; multidisciplinary teams; social interaction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAESD.2012.048302

International Journal of Agile and Extreme Software Development, 2012 Vol.1 No.1, pp.52 - 77

Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *