How to include users in the development of off-the-shelf software: A case for complementing participatory design with agile development

This paper describes and discusses a non-traditional approach to participatory design, one which is combined with an agile-like software development process. In this case, the size of the company combined with a distributed population of users has a serious impact on the software development process. The small software company in our study resolves this problem with an unconventional amalgam of participatory design and agile processes which seems to suit their situation. By using different kinds of user participation the small software provider is able to keep in contact with users on a daily basis. Users convey requirements for new functionalities, give feedback and report errors. Users’ feedback and proposals form the basis for further development. The paper relates our observations to other research on participatory design in unconventional settings and discusses the conditions under which agile software development can complement participatory design.