Waterfalls vs. Washing Machines: A View of Product Management
Douglas KarrLisa Reichelt put together this fantastic presentation for the IA Summit:
FYI: IA = Information Architecture, UCD = User Centered Design
For those software product managers out there, I think this is a fantastic presentation on a great methodology for software product development. We’ve struggled with the waterfall approach at my work and are transitioning to this approach - although we never actually identified it as a “Washing Machine” approach.
This slideshow is simple and accurate. The flaw of waterfalls is ironic… the water is directed, can’t be stopped, and moves in a single direction. You never quite know what kind of mess you’re going to have at the bottom of the fall!
PS: I love the post-it/photo technique of the presentation as well! Very different!
This is a lovely articulation of the “waterfall versus iterative” discussion. I agree with a lot of what Leisa is saying, though many clients have problems with the uncertainty of iteration. More than anything else though, I love the……