Wednesday, January 26, 2011

What a day

Phew, what a day!

I've been reminded of a few classic lessons (not all of them have happened today).
  • Always pass the designs through a developer before the client sees them (always strive to acchieve the near impossible but never promise the actually impossible!), 
  • COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION - not delivering the impossible dream is only a downer to the client if their expectations haven't been managed. Manage them!
  • And assume they are idiots, you might think you've communicated, but have they understood it... follow calls up with an e-mail (never rely on e-mail), invite them in, have a chat, draw them pictures, tattoo it on their head!
  • Chinese whispers never work - cut out the middlemen, speak directly to the horse.
  • Walk in their shoes - and then walk in the audiences shoes... what the client wants and what their audience want are often different (help them to see this; user centered design makes sense but telling the client they are 100% wrong doesn't... it's a delicate balance).
  • Eat the elephant.
  • Pay peanuts get monkeys.
  • Feel the force luke!
  • Don't become the poo in a poo sandwich.
  • Remember the triangle: Quality, Time, Budget - reduce one and the other two will have to compromise. Sorry, that's life!
  • Be confident - if you aren't sure that's ok, just be confident, find out the answer later. Don't make things worse by letting them think you're clueless.
  • Have breakfast, don't skip lunch!

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