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title: Crystal
---
## Crystal

Crystal is a family of lightweight methodologies for software development. These include Crystal Clear, Crystal Yellow, Crystal Orange, Crystal Red, and Crystal Garnet among others. Each of them is targeted at a unique aspect of the type of product that will result from the software being developed, including factors such as:
* the size of the team
* how critical the system is
* the priorities of the project

Crystal states that each projects might need a different set of practices, rules, and processes according to the project's unique characteristics. Crystal was developed by Alistair Cockburn in the 1990s for IBM. According to Cockburn, the faces of the crystal defined the methodology, techniques, and policies.

Methodology - elements which are part of the project
Techniques - areas of skills
Policies - organizationals do's and dont's

Those methods are focused on:
1. People
2. Interaction
3. Community
4. Skills
5. Talents
6. Communications

![Different Colors](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiversity/en/c/c5/Crystal_Family_example.jpg)

It takes different strokes to move the world, and according to Crystal, it takes different colors to move a project. 

#### More Information:
[Wikiversity Article](https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Crystal_Methods)
