Agile

Agile is an iterative project management methodology emphasizing flexibility, collaboration, and rapid delivery of working software. Rather than planning an entire project upfront and delivering it all at once, Agile breaks development into short cycles called sprints, typically lasting one to four weeks, with each sprint producing a potentially shippable increment of the product.

The methodology originated from the Agile Manifesto published in 2001, which prioritizes individuals and interactions over processes, working software over documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a fixed plan. Common frameworks implementing Agile principles include Scrum, which uses defined roles and ceremonies, and Kanban, which focuses on continuous flow and limiting work in progress.

For web development teams, Agile matters because web projects almost always encounter changing requirements. Client feedback after seeing a working prototype frequently reshapes priorities. Agile accommodates this reality by building in regular review points and reprioritization rather than treating changes as failures of planning. Cross-functional teams including designers, developers, and stakeholders work together throughout the process, reducing handoff delays and misunderstandings that plague waterfall approaches.