Sprint Feedback: Workflow & UI/UX Improvements

Dec 2, 2025 by Alex Johnson 47 views

This article consolidates feedback from our last sprint ceremony, focusing on workflow and UI/UX enhancements. We'll delve into the suggestions and decisions made, along with actionable steps for implementation. These improvements are structured for tracking within GitHub to ensure a streamlined development process. Let's dive into the specifics of the feedback and how we plan to address them.

📌 Workflow Feedback & Suggestions

In this section, we will discuss the feedback and suggestions related to the team's workflow. We'll cover database setup, feature prioritization, and currency implementation. Understanding these aspects is crucial for optimizing the development process and ensuring project success. Addressing these workflow elements will lead to a more efficient and scalable application.

1. Database Setup

Database setup is a critical aspect of any software project. Currently, the team uses a centralized database for both local development and deployment. The feedback received suggests that each team member should ideally have a local database or sandbox environment to avoid conflicts and ensure smoother development. While the professor has allowed the continuation of the current workflow for now, the recommendation to use local databases is strongly advised for future scalability and to prevent potential issues as the project grows.

Using a centralized database can lead to several challenges. For instance, if multiple developers are working on the same database schema or data simultaneously, it can result in locking issues, data corruption, or overwritten changes. Local databases offer isolation, allowing developers to experiment, make changes, and test their code without affecting others or the production environment. This approach promotes a more agile and robust development process. Adopting local databases or sandboxes is a forward-thinking strategy that will pay dividends in the long run.

For the current project phase, we will maintain the centralized database as permitted. However, we will explore setting up local database environments for each team member in parallel. This includes researching suitable database management systems, establishing a streamlined process for database schema migration, and ensuring data consistency between local and centralized databases. By proactively addressing this now, we will be well-prepared for future expansions and minimize disruptions. Furthermore, this transition will also enhance the team’s familiarity with best practices in database management, which is a valuable skill for their professional growth.

2. Feature Prioritization

Feature prioritization is another vital area of feedback. The team is currently working on multiple features, which can sometimes lead to scattered efforts and delays in delivering core functionalities. The feedback emphasizes the importance of prioritizing core features such as CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations for transactions, budgets, and savings. Completing these fundamental features should be the primary focus before moving on to secondary or less critical features. This approach ensures that the core functionality of the application is solid and reliable, providing a strong foundation for future enhancements.

Prioritizing CRUD functionality means that users will be able to effectively manage their financial data within the application. Transactions can be created, viewed, updated, and deleted; budgets can be set and tracked; and savings goals can be established and monitored. These are the essential building blocks of a personal finance management tool. By concentrating on these features first, we ensure that the application provides immediate value to its users. Trying to implement too many features at once can dilute the team’s focus and result in a longer overall development time. A phased approach, starting with the most crucial functionalities, is a much more efficient strategy.

Our action plan includes a detailed review of the current feature backlog. We will categorize features based on their importance and impact on the core functionality. CRUD operations for transactions, budgets, and savings will be given the highest priority. We will then create a timeline for completing these features, setting realistic deadlines and milestones. Regular progress reviews will be conducted to ensure that we stay on track. Additionally, we will communicate this prioritization strategy to all team members to ensure everyone is aligned and focused on the same goals. This structured approach to feature prioritization will streamline our development process and lead to a more cohesive and functional application.

3. Currency Implementation

Currency implementation was also discussed during the sprint review. The team had been considering implementing support for multiple currencies within the application. However, feedback indicated that currency implementation can be a trivial and time-consuming task, especially within the project’s timeframe. Therefore, the decision was made to stick to the peso currency for this project phase. This allows the team to focus on the core features and avoid the complexities associated with handling multiple currencies, such as exchange rates, formatting, and localization.

Implementing multiple currencies might seem like a valuable feature, but it introduces significant overhead. Each currency has its unique formatting conventions, symbols, and decimal precision. Exchange rates fluctuate constantly and need to be regularly updated. There are also legal and regulatory considerations for handling different currencies, especially if the application is intended for use in multiple countries. All of these factors add complexity to the development process and can divert resources away from more critical features. By sticking to a single currency, we can simplify the application’s design and implementation.

Our immediate action is to confirm that all currency-related fields and calculations within the application are set to use the peso. We will remove any code or settings that were intended for multiple currency support. This will streamline the codebase and reduce the risk of errors. We will also document this decision in the project’s requirements and specifications to provide clarity for future development efforts. If there is a need to support multiple currencies in the future, we can revisit this decision and allocate the necessary time and resources. For now, focusing on the core functionality with a single currency is the most practical and efficient approach.

🎨 UI/UX Feedback

UI/UX feedback is crucial for ensuring the application is user-friendly and visually appealing. This section covers feedback on various UI/UX elements, including the sidebar labels, transactions page, Moneylover reference, transaction modal, and categories. Addressing these points will significantly improve the overall user experience. The goal is to create an intuitive and efficient interface that users will enjoy interacting with.

Sidebar Labels

The sidebar is a critical navigation element in the application, but the current design lacks labels, making navigation unclear. Users must rely on icons alone to understand the purpose of each section, which can be confusing and inefficient. Two primary suggestions were made to address this issue: adding labels by expanding the sidebar on hover or adding tooltips that appear when icons are hovered. Both solutions aim to provide users with clear guidance on the sidebar's functionality without cluttering the interface.

The lack of labels on the sidebar creates a usability problem. Users may need to guess the function of each icon, leading to errors and frustration. Clear labels are essential for intuitive navigation and help users quickly find the sections they need. Expanding the sidebar on hover is a common approach that keeps the interface clean while providing labels when needed. Tooltips are another effective solution, offering immediate clarification without requiring the user to click or wait for a page to load. The key is to provide context without overwhelming the user with information.

The acceptance criteria for improving the sidebar labels include two options: sidebar icons displaying tooltips on hover and the sidebar expanding to show labels when hovered. We will evaluate both approaches to determine which provides the best user experience. Tooltips are relatively simple to implement and provide immediate feedback, while expanding the sidebar offers a more prominent display of labels. User testing will be conducted to gather feedback on both options. The chosen solution will be implemented and thoroughly tested to ensure it meets the usability requirements and enhances navigation.

Transactions Page

The transactions page currently displays all cards without pagination, leading to a cluttered and overwhelming user experience, especially when there is a large amount of data. The suggestions to improve this page include implementing pagination for better data presentation, adjusting card sizes for readability, and finding a balance in displaying data. These changes aim to make the transactions page more manageable and user-friendly, allowing users to easily review their financial activity.

Displaying all transactions on a single page can lead to performance issues and makes it difficult for users to find specific entries. Pagination breaks the data into manageable chunks, improving loading times and making navigation easier. Adjusting card sizes is also important for readability; cards should be large enough to display essential information clearly but not so large that they dominate the page. Finding the right balance in data presentation involves prioritizing the most relevant information and organizing it in a way that is intuitive and visually appealing. The goal is to present the data in a way that empowers users to quickly understand their financial transactions.

The acceptance criteria for the transactions page improvements include implementing pagination with a default of five items per page and adjusting card sizes for clarity. The pagination implementation will allow users to navigate through transactions in a structured manner, preventing the page from becoming overwhelming. The card size adjustment will ensure that each transaction is easily readable, with all critical details visible at a glance. We will explore different pagination styles and card layouts to determine the best combination for usability and visual appeal. User feedback will be essential in refining the design to ensure it meets their needs and preferences.

Moneylover Reference

As part of the UI/UX feedback, reviewing the Moneylover app was suggested for inspiration on how to present transaction data effectively. Moneylover is a well-regarded personal finance management application known for its clean and intuitive interface. By studying Moneylover’s design, we can gain valuable insights into best practices for displaying transaction information, categorizing expenses, and providing financial overviews. This reference point will help us ensure our application is both functional and visually appealing.

Moneylover excels in presenting complex financial data in a simple and understandable format. Its use of visualizations, such as charts and graphs, helps users quickly grasp their spending patterns and financial health. The app’s transaction interface is also highly intuitive, allowing users to easily add, categorize, and review their transactions. By analyzing these features, we can identify design patterns and techniques that can be adapted to our application. This comparative analysis is a valuable step in the design process, ensuring that we create a product that meets or exceeds user expectations.

Our action plan involves a detailed review of the Moneylover app, focusing on its transaction presentation, categorization system, and overall user flow. We will identify specific elements that we find effective and consider how they can be incorporated into our design. This review will include both visual and functional aspects, such as layout, color schemes, and interaction patterns. We will also conduct user testing to gather feedback on the proposed changes, ensuring that they resonate with our target audience. This reference to Moneylover will guide us in creating a superior user experience for our application.

Transaction Modal

The current transaction modal, which appears after adding a transaction, blocks the user’s view and disrupts the workflow. The suggestions to improve this include replacing the modal with a snackbar notification or, if the modal is kept, ensuring users can close it easily. The goal is to provide feedback to the user without interrupting their interaction with the application. A snackbar notification is a non-intrusive way to confirm that a transaction has been added, while a modal requires the user to take an additional action to dismiss it.

A modal that blocks the user’s view can be frustrating, especially if the user wants to add multiple transactions or continue working on other tasks. A snackbar, on the other hand, appears briefly and then disappears, allowing the user to continue their work without interruption. If a modal is necessary, it should include a clear and easily accessible close button, ensuring that the user can dismiss it quickly. The key is to provide feedback without creating obstacles in the user’s workflow.

The acceptance criteria for improving the transaction feedback mechanism include a snackbar appearing after a transaction is added and, if a modal is used, including a close button. We will implement the snackbar notification as the primary solution, as it provides a non-intrusive confirmation. If there are specific scenarios where a modal is deemed necessary, we will ensure it includes a prominent close button and a clear message. User testing will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the chosen approach and to identify any potential issues. The goal is to provide a seamless and efficient user experience when adding transactions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the feedback from our sprint ceremony has provided valuable insights into areas for improvement in both workflow and UI/UX. By addressing these points, we can enhance the development process and create a more user-friendly application. The actionable steps outlined for each feedback point will guide our efforts in the upcoming sprint. This iterative approach to development ensures that we are continuously improving the application based on feedback and best practices.

For more information on UI/UX best practices, consider visiting the Nielsen Norman Group website, a trusted resource for usability research and design guidelines.