Incremental Design

5 minutes 5 Questions

Incremental design in TDD refers to the practice of continuously improving the design of a software over time, instead of trying to get the perfect design at once. This approach allows for more manageable iterations, and it better accommodates and expects change. This method results in a design that is practical and only includes what is necessary at the time, which simplifies the overall development process.

Incremental Design Guide and Exam Tips

Why it's important: Incremental Design is a key part of many Agile methodologies including Test Driven Development (TDD) and it is frequently focused on in the PMI-ACP examination. Understanding the logic and applications behind this design approach can not only enhance your project management skills but also boost your exam performance.
What it is: Incremental Design is an approach where the system is designed, implemented and tested incrementally (a little more is added each time) until the product is finished. It involves both development and maintenance.
How it works: It starts with a simple implementation of a subset of the software requirements and iteratively enhances the evolving versions until the full system is Implemented. The system is defined as a collection of cohesive functionalities and can be incrementally built in any order.
Answering Questions on Incremental Design: When faced with an exam question, read it carefully and look for keywords or phrases that indicate it's related to Incremental Design, such as 'iterative', 'incremental', 'evolving versions', 'subset of software requirements'.
Exam Tips: Make sure you understand the principles and applications of Incremental Design. Practice with actual exam questions if possible. Remember that in Incremental Design, functionality can be developed, tested, and delivered in any order and each cycle involves a team working through a full software development cycle.

Test mode:

Exam (Timed)

Practice (With explanations)

Start practice test

Question 1

After three iterations, the team finds that a component's design requires significant changes. How should the team proceed?

Refactor the component iteratively to avoid a big, disruptive change Ignore the need for changes Fire the team member responsible for the component Replace the component with a new one Stop the project and restart from scratch Redesign the entire component at once

Correct Answer: Refactor the component iteratively to avoid a big, disruptive change

When significant changes are required in a component, agile teams refactor and improve it iteratively instead of entirely redesigning or replacing it. This approach helps maintain the incrementality of the project.

Question 2

The development team has completed the initial version of a software module. The client proposes substantial modifications to it. As a follower of incremental design, how should the team react?

The team should integrate the changes incrementally by introducing small portions of the new feature in each iteration of the design process. The team should refuse to implement the changes as it might disrupt the project timeline. The team should put the proposed changes on hold until they complete the entire software development. The team should entirely redesign the module to accommodate the client’s requests.

Correct Answer: The team should integrate the changes incrementally by introducing small portions of the new feature in each iteration of the design process.

As a follower of incremental design, the development team should take into consideration the substantial modifications proposed by the client. They don't need to refuse the changes or entirely redesign the module, as these actions will disrupt the project timeline and are not in line with the incremental design principle. The correct step will be to integrate the changes incrementally by introducing small portions of the new feature in each iteration of the design process. This is the core idea of incremental design. By doing so, the team can manage the modification, continually adjust, optimize design, and promptly provide feedback for each modification proposed. The offer to put proposed changes on hold until the team completes the entire software development is also incorrect because it prolongs the feedback loop and contradicts with the principle of rapid and flexible response to change which underpins agile methodologies.

Question 3

A company working on a new app requires adding features over time. Which agile principle should the team follow to ensure successful incremental design?

Add all features at once Rely only on long-term planning Do not refactor code Avoid user feedback Ignore technical debt Prioritize building small, functional modules

Correct Answer: Prioritize building small, functional modules

In incremental design, it's essential to prioritize building small functional modules and gradually adding to the product, while remaining open to user feedback, addressing technical debt, and refactoring the code as necessary.

Go Premium