Most software businesses today use the Agile development process to create their products. This process is engineering-centered and often disregards user research and design in favor of development speed and flexibility. In this thesis a bridging model will be proposed as a means to integrate and optimize the benefits of both Agile development and human-centered design (HCD) principles. Methods for integrating user research and design into the software development process are laid out. Requirements of the bridging model will be elaborated and evaluated.
Software development lacks human-centered design thinking when defining features to build. How can Agile development processes be improved by thoughtfully integrating established HCD principles and practices, thereby increasing validated, customer-focused value, desirability and market success of offerings?