Boxes And Arrows : The Design Behind the Design

Article Idea:

Pre-Sales UI/UX/Requirements

suggested by laurie kalmanson on 2007/08/21

OK, so here’s the deal.

A company is just big enough to have ***some*** process, and even have some fully accredited project manager types.

But those PM’s don’t get involved until after a contract is signed.

Meanwhile, sales people—who sell, sell, sell—wind up writing contracts that more or less promise we’ll deliver something that’s round, floats, is made of granite, and will be activated yesterday.

What’s an IA/UX/IXD person to do?

—How to manage requirements in the pre-contract phase so IA/UX/IXD considerations/impacts are scoped

—How to help sales people understand that after they open the door, they need IA/UX/IXD people in the *pre-contract* phase to document what it is exactly that everyone thinks we’re building here

I’ve got some great solutions that are easy, friendly, and really work.