This year, tvsdesign’s continuously learning organization is focusing on Outside In – an intentional investigation into what other businesses and industries have to teach us about the way we can best serve our clients. Having recently started working with a client who’s adopted an Agile design process, it was a priority to immerse ourselves in this workflow. If your professional life is anything like ours, it can be a challenge to hit the pause button, bring your team together and explore these processes on a deeper level.

Our friends at Pivotal Labs shared their Agile process and mindset with our Hospitality Team, where we worked through quick exercises aimed at increased communication and shortened feedback loops. We found a surprising number of similarities with our own approach—like balanced and empowered teams rooted in psychological safety and mutual respect; a lean and user-centric learning mindset; as well as a culture of feedback, transparency and continuous improvement.

In keeping with Agile principals, we’re reminded among other things to:

• Look before we leap–goal setting and research are fundamental starting places
• Get into the other guy’s shoes–gain a deep understanding of the user experience and client aspirations
• Learn from our mistakes and successes–take a moment to build a platform of understanding for the next steps

Pivotal Labs is a consulting firm that helps their clients design, build and implement tools that deliver exceptional user experiences.

Follow along in coming weeks as we walk through applications of the Agile design process!