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  • Agile Australia 2015 to Focus on the Art of Simplicity

    The Agile Australia 2015 conference is running in Sydney on 17 - 18 June with its theme around the art of simplicty. The conference has been running since 2009 and is set to attract over 1,000 delgates representing over 250 of Australia's leading organisations.

  • Simplicity for Building the Right Thing

    At GOTO Amsterdam 2013, Russ Miles did a lightning talk about building the right thing in 5 questions: the 4 questions from impact mapping “Why? Who? How? and What?” and one additional question “What assumptions underpin everything?”. InfoQ did an interview with him about building the right thing using simplicity.

  • Too Much Technology?

    As technologists we often never question how technology is affecting us and our world. This interview with Eric Brende presents an a different view on progress, innovation and technology.

  • iPhone Antenna Problems Pose Alternative Interface Design Questions

    Problems with the new iPhone4G antenna again raise questions about interface design for small devices. This article briefly recaps some of the problems posed by phones and similar devices and points to some potential alternative interface solutions.

  • Using a "Snake On The Wall" To Quantify Impediments

    Kevin Schlabach discusses using a "Snake On The Wall", a lightweight approach targeted at helping your team get a better handle on the things that are slowing the development process.

  • Opinions: What is The Optimal Business Model for Today's Web?

    What is the optimal business model for today’s web? Opinions diverge in a series of articles around this issue. While authors seem to share the conviction that simplicity is the key in web environment, they do not necessarily put the same meaning into this term. Is less really more? Or should it rather be more with less? And how do we achieve it?

  • The Complexity Around Simplicity

    Almost all Agile techniques focus on simplicity. Understanding simplicity could itself be a complex task. Many Agile community members believe that simplicity is often misunderstood and this often results in unwanted complexity.

  • Accurate Estimates - the ultimate oxymoron?

    Amit Rathore questions the value of real time task based estimates in the planning and execution of software projects, taking a lean stance on what they bring to the software delivery party.

  • Architecture a Key Factor in Scaling Agile

    Scott Ambler's recent article "Scaling Agile Development Via Architecture" summarizes strategies for Agile teams regarding software architecture, and argues that an effective approach to architecture is an important key to successfully scaling Agile software development.

  • Naked Agile and Naked Skydiving

    Prompted by recent discussions on the ScrumDevelopment list, Alistair Cockburn and Jeff Patton sound a call to focus on the basics: "Listening, Designing, Coding, Testing. That's all there is to software. Anyone who tells you different is selling something."

  • Minimalism: Creating Manuals People Can Use

    Yes, documentation is not "working software". That being said, a certain amount of documentation is often necessary. But where do we start, to lighten up our documentation processes? JoAnn Hackos' workshop on July 11/12 teaches a disiplined minimalism, allowing teams to leverage structured writing, etc. to create just enough documentation - the right documentation. Almost sounds agile :-)

  • "Simple Ain't Easy"

    The idea of simplicity has recently been explored in relation to subjects such as charity, time management, and home design. In concert with this movement, simplicity also surfaced in 2001 in the Agile Manifesto. But the term is deceptive - surely simplicity should be, well, simple? Brad Appleton has blogged at length on the subject, exploring "Myths and Misunderstandings about Simplicity".

  • Fun: The YAGNI Development Assistant

    Some days it's harder than others to remain focused. Darren Smith has specced out a new feature which most IDE's are missing: The YAGNI Development Assistant. Based on Microsoft's Clippy, it provides key advice for staying agile as you're programming.

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