What is it that you want me to build?



  • I work with apps, frontend apps, let's leave it there.

    Now, we just signed this contract with this big client so big, making a decision takes 5 levels of stakeholders1 to approve any change, specially with the UI: UI, UX, branding, legal, etc.

    For the past month I've held the start of the development efforts until we get the UI design. Any UI design. At least a freaking logo or some mock ups I ask for. But until now we've got nothing, only a heavy under development API library and some UX documentation not totally related to this project.

    So I ask, am I TRWTF for acting like this? The PM on the client keeps pushing for the development to start but I keep on delaying it. In previous projects we've always had at least some general UI guidelines and some design. I even worked with the feared "build it like the web site" design rules. But nothing like this.

    [1] Every time I hear the word "stakeholder" I hear "lots of people who we must give something to do so they don't sit all day looking busy" or "that guy sitting on the meeting writing emails or fan-fiction for all I care"


  • FoxDev

    You can't design a UI until you know what the client wants, simple as that ;)



  • Prepare for pain...

    Last time I worked on a UI design in big company bureaucracy, it went something like this...

    Team: "We need a UI design for this small website. The project was already off the ground when you bought us. Your purchasing policies don't allow us to use the vendor we planned to use.".
    Company: "We have a company that does that for us. We'll get the two of you together."
    ...
    Vendor: "What do you need"
    Team: "Basic company presence web site. Here's the old one and what the division president wants to do differently."
    Vendor: "No problem, what's your budget."
    Team: "Ten grand for the UI, we expect functional static html and css from you."
    Vendor: "No problem, let us get back to you with a few ideas".
    ...
    Vendor: "Here's three options."
    Team: "We like #2, but could you change X, Y, and Z."
    Vendor: "Sorry, we ran through your ten grand on these prototypes. For modifications and/or actual html/css it's going to be another 10 to 20 thousand."


  • Discourse touched me in a no-no place

    @Eldelshell said:

    Every time I hear the word "stakeholder" I hear "lots of people who we must give something to do so they don't sit all day looking busy" or "that guy sitting on the meeting writing emails or fan-fiction for all I care"

    I mentally parse "stakeholder" in this context as "what colours of bikeshed will they suggest this week?"



  • You could just throw something together on your whims alone.

    It'll be totally reusable too, for the next requirements-free project.


  • Discourse touched me in a no-no place

    @PJH said:

    I mentally parse "stakeholder" in this context as "what colours of bikeshed will they suggest this week?"

    Isn't that the actual dictionary definition?


  • kills Dumbledore

    No, a stakeholder is a vampire slayer's executive assistant


  • BINNED

    Shit... Now I want to watch Buffy the vampire slayer again.



  • http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/1/3/8/gfs_46888_2_11.jpg


    Filed under: [A crooked trader is offering bum deals in this town.](#prosess)

  • BINNED

    I already gave a like, but I have to give an extra +1 for the tag 😆


    Filed under: The hidden bit, I mean


  • ♿ (Parody)

    @Eldelshell said:

    The PM on the client keeps pushing for the development to start but I keep on delaying it.

    Do you have anything from them that would support getting a basic UI together? How are you telling them that you're delaying? What sort of contract is this (fixed price, cost plus, time and materials)?

    Generically, if they said to start development, I'd warn them that starting before they tell me what to do means a high risk of rework if I start doing something different than what they want. If I had some options on the table, I'd ask them which direction to start on.

    IOW, make it clear that I'm not delaying development. They are.


  • Discourse touched me in a no-no place

    Enjoy your badge!


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