Event overview

I had the opportunity to participate in Agile Network India’s conference in Noida, themed “Integrating Human-Centered Design (HCD) and UX with Agile.” The gathering brought together passionate professionals exploring ways to seamlessly blend user experience and agile practices for more innovative, human-centered solutions. Hosted by Comdez Communication Pvt. Ltd., the event provided valuable sessions, panel discussions, and hands-on workshops.

Conference experience & key themes

Human-Centered Design (HCD) Meets Agile

The sessions explored how HCD can enrich agile product development. The key takeaways included:

  • The role of continuous user feedback in building meaningful products.

  • Techniques for integrating design strategy into agile teams.

  • Challenges and success factors when cross-functional teams simultaneously pursue speed and empathy in development.

Panelists and speakers highlighted the benefits of collaborative, iterative cycles, and the need to prioritize end-user outcomes over outputs. Metrics linking design success and business value were discussed as essential anchors for agile UX efforts.

My Kanban Workshop: The Kanban Pizza Activity

  • Setup
    Teams simulated a pizza shop, visualizing their workflow for making and delivering (paper) pizzas. In the first round, production was chaotic without structure or limits.

  • Core Principles Experienced

    • Visualizing workflow and bottlenecks.

    • Implementing work-in-progress (WIP) limits.

    • Managing flow and improving collaboration.

  • Debrief
    After reflecting on the first round, teams reorganized their stations, set WIP limits, and distributed tasks more efficiently. The second round showed dramatic improvement: smoother flow, less rework, and better teamwork.

Why Kanban Clicked

Participants discovered that:

  • Simple visual boards can drastically boost clarity and reduce multitasking.

  • WIP limits expose bottlenecks, encouraging timely collaboration.

  • Process transparency fosters a culture of feedback, learning, and continuous improvement - key to agile and HCD values.

Many shared that the tangible, playful simulation made Kanban principles far more memorable than any lecture. Several attendees planned to try similar activities back at work to help teams self-organize and adapt processes more effectively.

Personal Learnings & Next Steps

  • Synergy of Agile and HCD
    Integrating human-centered design with agile is not just about adding UX steps; it's about adopting a mindset of experimentation, close user involvement, and cross-functional team learning.

  • Practical Workshops Matter
    Active learning through simulations like the Kanban Pizza Game builds lasting understanding and practical skills.

  • Community Strength
    Connecting with peers and experts motivated me to keep experimenting, sharing, and fostering agile transformation in my own circles.