Crystal Methods

Question 1

Crystal Objectives

Answer 1

1) Human powered
2) Focuses on team not on processes
3) directly tackle cooperative game of team invention and communcation
4) Aspires to be sufficient methodology
5) This game never repeats

Question 2

Crystal attributes

Answer 2

1) Size and criticality

2) lighter color and hardness

Question 3

Crystal family characterisation

Answer 3

Vertical axis - life(l), essential money(e), discretionary money(d), comfort(c)
Horizontal axis - team size

Question 4

Crystal family characterisation

Answer 4

Methods are not compatible with each other

If size or criticality changes, change the crystal method

Question 5

Crystal family genetic code

Answer 5

1) Design priorities
2) Project properties (what team is aiming for)
3) Design principles
4) Key techniques (specific tools)
5) Crystal methods

Question 6

Design priorities

Answer 6

1) What to work on, what specific order
2) Project safety (project outcome)
3) Development efficiency
4) Habitability (comfortable to use, so that teams do not feel need to avoid it)

Question 7

Project properties

Answer 7

1) Frequent delivery
2) Reflective improvement
3) Osmotic communication
4) Personnel safety (project team and end user)
5) Focus (priority items for team members)
6) Access to expert users and other users
7) Proper technical environment

Question 8

Design principles

Answer 8

1) Face to Face communication
2) gauge method weight
3) Add weight
4) Add ceremony
5) Feedback
6) Discipline and skill
7) trade efficiency

Question 9

Key techniques

Answer 9

1) Methodology shaping workshop

2) reflection workshop

Question 10

Popular methods

Answer 10

1) Crystal clear (low criticality, small size)
2) Orange
3) orange web

Question 11

Project safety

Answer 11

1) If all implemented, project safely reach end goal
2) delivered in reasonable period of time
3) 7 project properties (3 base properties, 4 not mandatory)
4) Project safety increases incrementally

Question 12

Habitability

Answer 12

1) Creating convention, team can live with
2) Comfortable to use
3) team did not feel need to circumvent or avoid
4) includes tolerance for human variation
5) Maximum amount of freedom for team members

Question 13

Development efficiency

Answer 13

1) eliminate waste
2) team members work continuously on the same project (static team)
3) short iteration (able to focus)
4) familiarity with requirements

Question 14

Gauge methodology weight

Answer 14

1) Adds cost to the project, constantly monitored
2) less is better
3) Darker methods need more weight, frequent communication
4) criticality increases documentation and reporting

Question 15

Trade efficiency

Answer 15

1) Non-bottle necks can be less efficient, so bottlenecks can become more efficient

Question 16

Methodology shaping workshops

Answer 16

1) review organization fixed rules
2) review liked and kept items
3) review disliked and avoid items
4) Plan to take advantage of organizational themes
5) brainstorm solutions for difficult items
6) review and prioritize the items
7) review and update at reflection workshop

Question 17

Reflection workshop

Answer 17

1) what should we keep
2) where are we in ongoing problems
3) what do we try in the next iteration

Question 18

Crystal clear method characteristics

Answer 18

1) Team size 1-6
2) Colocated
3) Project duration release 30 to 90
4) Tracking technique - Milestones
5) Process reviews - discretionary and informal
6) Coding standards - discretionary and informal

Question 19

Crystal clear method roles and responsibilities

Answer 19

1) Sponsor
2) Senior designer
3) designer and programmer
4) Business representative
5) Coordinator
6) requirement gatherer

Question 20

Crystal clear method products

Answer 20

1) Map (project, process, iteration)
2) plans
3) reports
4) lists
5) information radiators
6) formal documentation

Question 21

Crystal orange characteristics

Answer 21

1) Team size 21-40
2) distributed (but in a same building)
3) Project duration release 90 to 120
4) Tracking technique - Milestones(higher level) & deliverables
5) Process reviews - mandatory
6) Coding standards - mandatory

Question 22

Crystal orange method products

Answer 22

1) user interface designer
2) database engineer
3) Architect
4) full time tester
5) User
6) technical writer

Question 23

why use crystal methods

Answer 23

1) there is no 1 to 1 comparison
2) team as key elements
3) successfully combined with ASD and Scrum