Sprint 2 really changed the way I see collaboration. As an introvert, I used to be scared of team projects and working with others. But during this sprint, that mindset shifted completely. It turned out to be fun and rewarding to collaborate with a team where everyone was understanding, supportive, and eager to learn together. After receiving helpful feedback at the end of Sprint 1, we had a much clearer understanding of what needed to be done. In Sprint 1, we struggled a lot with confusion and having different views, but this time around, we had a shared direction that made a big difference.
Throughout Sprint 2, we faced more complex problems than before. My partner and I worked on several issues based on the feedback we received, as well as on things we identified as a team. Our main priorities were fixing the camera mirroring issue on the UPC scanner, updating the frontend’s visual identity, and adjusting the layout for mobile and tablet devices.
We successfully fixed the mirroring issue, which felt like a big win. However, aligning our frontend designs with the other teams was much more difficult than we anticipated. Initially, we had decided on a color palette, fonts, logos, and design styles that we thought represented the project well. Midway through the sprint, though, we were given Worcester State University’s Visual Identity Guidelines, and suddenly, everything we had designed had to be reworked. It was frustrating to undo what we had already built, but it taught us the importance of flexibility and communication.
Another major challenge we encountered and that we had to push into Sprint 3, was getting our web app running on a server rather than just locally. We started working on it, but deployment turned out to be trickier than we expected.
Here’s a look at some of the issue we were working on:
- Issue 13: Get website running not just on local server – Worked on deployment strategies for moving our app beyond local environments.
- Issue 15: Fix mirroring issue on front facing camera – Solved the problem with the mirrored display when using the front-facing camera.
- Issue 16: Modify page layout for different screen sizes – Improved the page layout to make it responsive on mobile and tablet screens.
- Issue 20: Modify layout to implement WSU Visual Identity Guidelines – Updated frontend designs to match the WSU branding requirements.
Overall, I think our team worked really well together this sprint. Despite the technical obstacles, especially around connecting the frontend and backend, we stayed positive and pushed through. We were eventually able to connect both parts and present a working version of the app to the customer, which was a great feeling. As a team, one area we could improve on is making sure everyone is on the same page and updated about what the different sub-teams are working on. Sometimes there were minor moments of confusion because different people had slightly different ideas of where each group was at. It wasn’t a major issue this sprint, but better communication would definitely help prevent misunderstandings and keep us even more organized. On a personal level, I realized that learning never really stops when you’re working in the tech industry or when you’re a developer. If there’s something I want to improve on, it’s learning new concepts more quickly. Being able to pick up new ideas faster would help me feel more confident during team discussions and allow me to contribute more effectively.
In the Apprenticeship Patterns book by Dave Hoover and Adewale Oshineye, one pattern really stood out to me this sprint: “Rubbing Elbows.” It talks about the importance of working closely with more experienced peers and teammates. Instead of trying to learn everything on your own, this pattern encourages you to learn through collaboration, by watching how others work and asking questions. I chose this pattern because it perfectly describes what changed for me. This sprint working side-by-side with my teammate helped me learn so much faster than I could have on my own. If I had read about “Rubbing Elbows” earlier, I think I would have embraced collaboration a lot sooner instead of seeing it as something intimidating. It would have reminded me that it’s okay and even expected to learn through other people, not just through personal effort.
From the blog CS@Worcester – CodedBear by donna abayon and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.