Author: Karan Negi

Marginal Economics | Glossary

Karan Negi Leave a comment

Definition

Marginal Economics deals with ‘Margins’ and the next chunk of money that is supposed to be justified by the investment that it generates. When Marginal Economics are applied, all work that has been performed on the product till the decision point is dignified as “sunk cost”, which overall, is not considered in determining further spending decisions.

Marginal thinking in general, is discouraged in Agile. Stockpiling costs/ resources is not recommended in this field. The process in general is considered more inclined towards full value, instead of margins.

Further Reading

  •  “Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit”(book), by Mary Poppendieck and Tom Poppendieck

Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) | Glossary

Karan Negi Leave a comment

Definition

“Keep It Simple Stupid” or its acronym KISS is a design principle first noted by the US Navy in the 1960’s. The emphasis is on stating that a large variety of systems tend to work best when the procedure is kept simple, rather than overly complicated. A simplicity in design will greatly benefit in the product being more relatable and accessible for the end users.

It is a usability principle for Product Design that has two other variants : “Keep it short and simple” and “Keep it simple and straightforward” , in the cases of when the word ‘stupid’ is deemed highly sensitive and troubling to some. The central message/objective remains the same: To deliver the simplest possible outcome.

Further Reading

  •  “Moderating Usability Tests: Principles and Practice for Interacting” (book), by Beth A. Loring and Joseph S. Dumas.