This morning while we were doing dishes, James and I discussed a few reasons projects fail. Often times “lack of communication” is cited as a problem. But I think it’s more than that.
It’s not like most designers or programmers don’t talk to the client and get requirements before they start a project. The problem is many times that’s where the dialogue ends. (The term client doesn’t only apply to those of us who work as consultants, by the way — in-house programming and design jobs suffer the same fate because in that case, the person who is creating the business rules and requirements is effectively the “client.”)
Anyway, after the initial job is laid out, everyone goes back into his or her corner to work. The programmer starts laying out specifications or the designer starts dreaming up comps. At this point, questions inevitably come up because there’s no way you can anticipate everything. Yet rather than ask the client for more details, in the absence of information, a lot of designers and programmers make stuff up.
Although creativity is a good thing, creativity run amok is not. You can have the most perfectly architected software product or the most beautifully designed Web page, but if it doesn’t meet the client’s expectations and goals, it’s a failure. The moral of the story is when in doubt, ask. If you are the client, never assume that silence means all is well. And if you are the programmer or designer, never assume you know everything.
And continuing in this mildly nerdy theme, the new issue of Computor Companion magazine is online.
Enjoy 😉