Lean UX by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden

Quotes

“Doing the least amount of work isn’t lazy. It’s lean. Remember, we’re trying to eliminate waste, and extra work spent testing your idea is waste.”

“Your primary concern is not to create value but to create learning.”

“The point of an MVP is that it’s focused on learning.”

“In a very short time span, Lean UX went from an obscure idea to a transformative way of building and delivering products that meet the customer’s needs.”

Expert Reviews

“As the Siskel & Ebert of the digital product-making process, Gothelf and Seiden provide scathingly precise guidance to large organizations undergoing their digital transformations. From their combined experience in the field spanning the spryest tech startup to century-spanning grown-up companies, their guidance is refreshingly more ‘let’s fix this now’ painkiller advice from real practitioners than the latest homeotherapy cure-all from armchair agilists.”

~John Maeda, SVP Chief Experience Officer, Everbridge.

“For the past eight years, Lean UX has been my go-to recommendation for teams learning how to work together to design great experiences. This latest version goes above and beyond, solidifying the teachings in an easy-to-follow format and examples of this working in practice. This is required reading for any modern product development team.”

~ Melissa Perri, CEO, Produx Labs, senior lecturer, Harvard Business School

Book Review

“Lean UX masterfully bridges the gap between design and Agile, offering a blueprint for creating innovative, user-centered products in a collaborative environment.”

Lean UX: Creating Great Products with Agile Teams by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden is an essential guide for modern product development, combining user experience design with Agile methodologies. The book is structured into four key parts: Introduction and Principles, Process, Collaboration, and Lean UX in Your Organization, offering a comprehensive roadmap for integrating Lean UX practices within teams and organizations.

The strength of this book lies in its practical approach. Gothelf and Seiden provide actionable insights through case studies and real-world examples, making complex concepts accessible. The Lean UX Canvas, a tool introduced in the book, is particularly valuable for facilitating collaboration and ensuring a user-centered design process. It helps teams systematically address business problems, user needs, and potential solutions, fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation .

One of the standout features of the book is its emphasis on collaboration. The authors argue convincingly for breaking down silos and promoting cross-functional teamwork, a critical aspect often overlooked in traditional UX practices. Techniques such as “1-2-4-All” highlight how to engage all team members in the design process, ensuring diverse perspectives and a shared understanding of the project’s goals .

Overall, Lean UX is a valuable resource for product teams looking to enhance their design and development processes. Its practical advice and tools are grounded in real-world experience, making it a must-read for anyone involved in creating digital products. The book successfully bridges the gap between UX design and Agile, promoting a collaborative, user-centered approach to product development.