Big Visible Charts

Big Visible Charts (BVCs) find their origin in the heart of Agile methodologies, notably within Extreme Programming (XP). XP emphasizes simplicity, communication, feedback, and courage, and it's from this foundation that the practice of using BVCs blossomed. These charts serve as a beacon of transparency and collaboration in Agile environments, offering everyone involved-from team members to stakeholders-a clear snapshot of project health and progress.

Here are a few key examples of BVCs, inspired by XP values:

• Sprint Burndown Chart: Simplifies understanding of progress in a sprint, reflecting XP's call for simplicity and feedback through a straightforward visual of remaining work.

• Kanban Board: Embodies XP's emphasis on continuous flow and communication, visually tracking tasks from start to finish, encouraging team interaction and adaptability.

• Release Burndown Chart: Aligns with XP's iterative planning, providing a bird's-eye view of progress towards a release, making it easier to adapt plans based on current status.

• Impediment Board: Directly supports XP's value of courage by openly showcasing challenges, fostering a culture of problem-solving and continuous improvement.

By incorporating BVCs into our Agile practices, we embrace XP's core principles, enhancing our ability to adapt, collaborate, and deliver value more effectively. It's about making our work and our challenges visible, so we can collectively navigate towards our goals with confidence and clarity.

If you want to learn more about creating transparency in an agile environment, have a look at our Product Owner class.