“Pragmatic” Bobby
Trap #1 “Baskin Robbins”
A classic trap that I have fallen victim to is the old, “I give you the freedom to make the decision.” This really means that they don’t know enough about what you are doing to have an opinion, but when it is finished, they will tell you how they really wanted it. This is usually also means that you will be fully accountable for the route you take.
Solution #1
I think the best way to work with this situation is to go 31 flavors on them, and serve them up a baby spoonful sized portion of functionality. If they like it, continue development, if not, give them another sample size. You can make it fun too, like the little pink spoons. It doesn’t cost much to pump out the small pieces of functionality to get rapid feedback from your client. With this route they are sure to get what they want, and they become accountable for helping make the decision with you.
Trap #2 “Anthony Hopkins”
This one is like the deadfall bear trap in the move “The Edge”. Your client has just come across the most awful inspiration ever, and they want you to recreate that style or functionality. This hurts especially bad, because they are so excited about site “X” it’s exactly what they were looking for, now all you have to do is recreate it.
Solution #2
I think at this point, it is important to find out what they like about it, and why they want an exact replica. The next thing to do is to educate. If the thing that inspired them is truly horrible, criticize the elements that are horrible not the entire project. It is best to stay honest on this, or it will come back to haunt you.
Trap #3 “The Odd Couple”
In almost every facet of my life, I run into a situation where I don’t know what I want. It can be features, color palate, ice cream flavors, hairdo, should I stay or should I go. I think it happens to all of us. In terms of web development, it is a tough spot to be in when you are fulfilling a request to someone who wants something but doesn’t know quite what. Clients that aren’t web savvy will often not know what they want. Clients that are web savvy can sometimes be even worse because they know the possibilities.
Solution #3
When there is a lot of uncertainty I think it is best to keep it simple and refine the clients requirements. It is much easy to find a solution to a problem when you know what the problem is. If you and the client can’t find a problem, you are already done. With the clients that are excited about all the possibilities, tell them that it is important to start small and fulfill the base requirements. Grow with the demand.
Conclusion
These are some common scenarios that I have found myself dealing with lately. The solutions are basic, and I think your client will appreciate that. When they find out that you want to build to their requirements rather than build a bunch of stuff they don’t need I think they will be even more happy with you. Web development doesn’t always have to be complicated.
For trap #1 it is important to remember that your expert opinion is being relied upon for many of those decisions. The client or whomever you are working with is not expected to have the same level of knowledge, or they wouldn’t need you. So when it comes down to their expectations being different than the product you develop, it should always be your responsibility that the two match. The majority of clients are not going to have near the understanding that is necessary when developing a software solution and it is the development team’s responsiblity to discover the client’s true requirements prior to the project.
I do agree with the solution though, I see it as an opportunity to exercise clear communication and agile practices and keep the client as closely involved as possible.
The freedom that is allotted in a lot of projects to developers should not be considered a trap, but an honor that their client trusts them enough to leave those decisions up to them.
Kyle Feldhus
20 Aug 08 at 10:01 am