Blog 5

I am not sure how many people talk about the backlog, but I am going to do it now.

The backlog is an excel document that we use to track the project development. It is a tool used to track what has been done, what is being done, and what needs to be done. Items need to be prioritized and deadlines must be set. Once a week, the group and I decide on tasks that need to be done. The backlog is used as a reference in this, we call this our “Sprint Planning”. At the end of the week, my group and I get together, and we inform each other which items got done, how they went and if they were any problems. This is our “Sprint Review.” After I gather all the information, which is safely written down so nothing is forgotten, I make sure what is in the weekly sprint matches up with how the backlog looks. For example, if a member of my team created an image, for the week, I would mark it of as “testing”, until it is fully implemented and no more changes are to occur, at that point it would be “done”. If an item was added to the game, it would be considered implemented. Also, if we have deemed an item unnecessary or too much work, it becomes “deleted.”

I have color coded my backlog, so everything is easier to see; a unique color for each stage of completion, as well as what category the item falls under (i.e. Code, art, sound, etc.). I feel that as well ask making things aesthetically appealing, it helps the project stay organized. Sheer black and white is hard to differentiate at first glance what needs to be done, the colors help the group pick out what they need to do. They also quickly help pick out what completion stage each item is on, so we can quickly see if an item is done or not.