In my first blog post I explained my motivation on the topic of Creating User-Centered Strategies that align with Business and IT Goals in an innovative Agile Environment.
Within the post I already mentioned that I might have the possibility to collaborate with a company for my thesis topic. Now I have gotten the confirmation from REWE Digital to support them during my studies as a working student. I will be working on various projects concerning the design and UX of cash registers and the checkout strategy of POS registers.
As off today it seems my focus will be on the development of the design and UX. I am excited to see what the projects have to offer for me and how I can use my skills and grow. The specific path of my thesis will therefore heavily depend on what’s going to happen at my future workplace, where I will start in January.
In the interview sessions and meetings I already discussed my tasks. However, as the line between confidential and public information is still a bit difficult to grasp I will try to stay as general as possible. One major aspect of the work in the UX Team is “aligning business, IT and UX goals” – so exactly what I want to focus on in my thesis. While this is not a specific topic the company is working on, it is one of the top priorities.
Concerning my next steps of action I will do deep dives into the topic Agile and Management. Here are some of the resources and literature I am planing on having a look at:
- Appelo, Jurgen. Management 3.0 : Leading Agile Developers, Developing Agile Leaders. 1. ed.., 2010.
2. Cooper, et al. About Face 3 : The Essentials of Interaction Design. Completely rev. and Updated., 2007.
3. Boston Consulting Group. Flores, Yu. Placing Desirability at the Center of Innovation. 2024 Flyvbjerg, Gardner. How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything in Between. 2023
4. Laloux, u. a. Reinventing Organizations „visuell“ : ein illustrierter Leitfaden sinnstiftender Formen der Zusammenarbeit. 2017.
Source Nr. 1 was recommended to me by the Chief Agile Manager at my previous internship. I am looking forward to discover more about Agility – as off today I’m only familiar with this topic on the surface. I would like to gain deeper knowledge. Furthermore, I might consider some of the Lean UX and Lean StartUp Principles. I am excited to start my first literature screening sessions. I will outline my results and key points as well as findings in the next blog entry.
Concerning the cash registers I will stay curious whenever I go grocery shopping. I want to get a better grasp about different kinds of checkout possibilities in supermarkets. I might as well do some benchmarking and observations by myself.
