Crystal method - Jamarare/AgiilsedTarkvaraarenduseMetoodikad GitHub Wiki
Crystal Method
What is the Crystal Method?
The Crystal Method is an Agile software development approach created by Alistair Cockburn. It focuses on the people involved in the project and their interactions, rather than rigid processes and tools. Crystal recognizes that every project is unique and offers a family of methods (e.g., Crystal Clear, Crystal Yellow, Crystal Orange) tailored to different team sizes and project criticality.
Key ideas of Crystal:
- Emphasizes communication, collaboration, and frequent delivery
- Values people and interactions over processes
- Adjusts practices based on project size, complexity, and criticality
- Encourages reflective improvement and dynamic adaptation
Where is the Crystal Method Used?
- Projects where team communication and cooperation are crucial
- Teams seeking a lightweight, adaptable Agile approach
- Projects of varying sizes:
- Crystal Clear → small teams
- Crystal Orange → larger teams
- Environments that prioritize people skills over heavy documentation
- Mainly in software development, but also adaptable to other agile and flexible projects
Pros:
- ✅ Highly adaptable – Tailors to team size, project criticality, and complexity
- ✅ People-focused – Encourages strong communication and teamwork
Cons:
- ⚠️ Less prescriptive – May confuse teams used to more structured methods
- ⚠️ Depends on team maturity – Requires skilled, communicative team members
Assignment: Crystal Method & eEduka Project
1. Is Crystal suitable for this project?
Yes. Crystal fits well:
- The team has 10 members, aligning with Crystal Orange (recommended for 10–40 people).
- The project includes both mobile and web apps, which adds complexity – a good match for Crystal’s flexible, people-centric model.
- Challenges: Full remote setup + client meets weekly → communication must be well-structured.
- Crystal’s support for continuous learning helps integrate interns effectively.
➡️ Conclusion: Crystal is a good fit if communication is managed proactively.
2. Which Crystal “color” to use and why?
- 🟠 Crystal Orange is the best fit:
- Team size (10) fits its range.
- Offers a balance of structure and flexibility.
Crystal Clear is better suited for very small teams, so it's not applicable here.
3. Adapting Crystal Elements
Element | Adaptation Strategy |
---|---|
Osmotic communication | Daily short video calls + active chat (to mimic natural flow remotely) |
Personal safety | Open discussion culture, mentorship, regular retrospectives |
Iterative development | 8 × 2-week sprints, demos, feedback cycles |
Client involvement | Weekly focused video calls + async feedback tools |
Continuous learning | Intern mentors, pair programming, knowledge-sharing sessions |
4. Top 3 Risks and Solutions
Risk | Solution |
---|---|
Communication gaps | Daily standups, written documentation |
Unclear roles | Clearly define responsibilities, assign mentors |
Slow intern onboarding | Provide training, start with simpler tasks |
5. Schedule & Iterations
- ⏱ Total: 8 iterations × 2 weeks = 4 months
- Early iterations: Core features
- Later iterations: Polishing, bug fixes
- Feedback cycles:
- 🟢 Daily team calls
- 🟢 Weekly client meetings
6. Roles and Tasks
Role | Tasks | Crystal Support | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Project Manager | Planning, coordination, client comms | Personal safety, client involvement | Needs strong organization |
Designer | UI/UX design | Osmotic communication | Collaborates closely with devs |
Developer | Coding, testing | Iterative delivery | Open to feedback |
Tester | QA, bug tracking | Frequent delivery | Coordinates testing effort |
Intern | Documentation, basic testing | Continuous learning | Requires mentorship |
7. Crystal Principles Overview
Principle | How it’s applied |
---|---|
Frequent delivery | MVP demos every 2 weeks |
Personal safety | Open discussions, retrospectives |
Osmotic communication | Daily video calls |
Iterative development | 2-week sprints + feedback |
Continuous learning | Mentorship and structured intern support |