Everything is important
29 April 2010
I attended yesterday a presentation for a large web site bid.
Managers for eight local firms were present in the room, there to hear the client explain the project. All ears to the presenter, everyone was attentive to the project’s different requirement and structure, trying to understand the project clearly to thus be able to bid accordingly. The client was presenting quite an open-minded brief, allowing what one could call a “creative bid”, suggesting not only and simply fixing the current problems, but also enticing innovative propositions to improve the overall experience. It pretty much boiled down to: be creative, money isn’t the only aspect we’re going to evaluate.
At one point, after a presentation of the current broken content management system, one of the attendees asked:
“What would you prioritize in the project: the content management system or the design of the site?”
This question was coming from some clean shirt and tie, leather briefcase, successful-looking manager in his fifties. Maybe I’m reading too much into this but through that simple question, medium aside, I could understand two things.
First off, a clear vision of his warped business approach to a simple design problem: instead of considering all the elements and focusing on serving the client to his full potential, he was already at work wondering where should he cut to lower his expenses. The client couldn’t be clearer in communication expectations of innovative solutions for the project as a whole, he seemed to be looking for a shortcut.
Secondly, you can also understand, with only business managers invited at these presentations, how and why designers—and here I also include all other creative stakeholderincluding engineers—are too often badly briefed. With such an incomprehension of design process and thinking, how can he turn around and explain anything correctly to his design team? How can they get a clear and honest summary of the meeting? Of the client’s real needs? On its views and expectations?
I sighed immediately.
The presenter was slightly puzzled by the question: “Well, I guess they’re both and equally as important.”