Agile Development is a methodology in which developers and other cross-functional teams champion efficiency, communication, short feedback loops, and quality in their software development projects. It advocates adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, and continual improvement, while encouraging rapid and flexible response to change.
Agile Development was a term coined in 2011 by American software engineer Jim Highsmith. As such, the relatively new methodology may seem like a buzzword. However, many organizations have put Agile practices into place to keep up with increasing consumer demand for higher-quality products—and more of them. Agile Development is important for learners interested in keeping up with this increasingly preferred methodology.