What should you consider when using agile methodologies for concept development?

1 Define your problem and vision

Before you dive into agile concept development, you need to have a clear understanding of the problem you are trying to solve, and the vision you have for your solution. This will help you to align your team, stakeholders, and customers around a common goal, and to measure your progress and success. You can use tools such as problem statements, value propositions, and lean canvases to define your problem and vision.

2 Choose the right agile method

There are many different agile methods that you can use for concept development, such as Scrum, Kanban, Lean Startup, or Design Thinking. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your project scope, timeline, budget, and resources. You should choose the method that best suits your needs, and adapt it to your specific situation. You can also combine elements from different methods, as long as they are compatible and consistent.

3 Plan your sprints and iterations

One of the key features of agile concept development is that you work in short cycles, called sprints or iterations, where you design, build, test, and learn from your concepts. You should plan your sprints and iterations carefully, based on your priorities, assumptions, and feedback. You should also set realistic and achievable goals, and define the deliverables and criteria for each sprint or iteration.

4 Involve your customers and stakeholders

Another important aspect of agile concept development is that you involve your customers and stakeholders throughout the process. You should seek their input and feedback on your concepts, and validate your assumptions and hypotheses with them. You should also communicate your progress and results to them, and incorporate their suggestions and concerns into your next steps. This will help you to create concepts that meet their needs and expectations, and to build trust and engagement.

5 Review and improve your process

Finally, you should review and improve your process of agile concept development regularly. You should reflect on what worked well and what didn't, and identify the lessons learned and the areas for improvement. You should also solicit feedback from your team, customers, and stakeholders on how they experienced the process, and what they would change or suggest. You should then implement the changes and improvements in your next sprint or iteration, and continue to learn and adapt.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?