Incorporating UX Work into Your Agile Backlog

Summary: Three different backlog models enable teams to keep track of UX work in their Agile processes. Each model comes with pros and cons.

There is no definitive rulebook when it comes to Agile backlogs — every team may structure its backlog differently. At its core, this is a good thing: every team has its own way of working so a one-size-fits-all process isn’t practical. However, because of this flexibility and lack of official rules, UX is sometimes left out of the process.

Definition: A backlog is an ordered list of to-do items — including features, updates to existing features, bug fixes, UX debt , or other activities — that a team intends to deliver to complete a project.

Backlogs in Agile

On most Agile teams, feature planning is documented in the form of user stories . Each user story is given acceptance criteria and an estimated effort necessary to complete them, and the list of stories is then prioritized based on the needs of the stakeholders, business, and development team.