Huge emphasis should be placed on the AND. Although this article isn’t specifically for the web designers and developers I believe it sure fits. As designers/developers we are not only involved in and utilize a process but we also are providing a product (website, application, etc). Thus we should be cognizant of not only our process but our product. Too often designers and/or developers are ends focused so some of our process is overlooked.
If that is you then take a moment to sit down and chart your process. Whether its the process for a website or for a web application. If you haven’t ever done that, it might be time to refine and improve your process. Getting it down on paper (illustrator, image, etc) will help you visualize every step. This work flow should always be being tweaked. Never let it sit idle and use the same flow just because that’s the way you’ve always done it.
Secondly, lets say the process end of this article does not apply to you in the slightest. Then is your product (website, web application, etc.) leave a client with a ‘bittertaste’ and not a repeat customer? As much as we would like to think we churn out perfect products, if we answer honestly we all can find problems. Afterall are we not our own worst critic? If you are not entirely happy with your product isn’t there a chance your client may not be either, even though it might be exactly what they asked for? Certainly, and that is where you can/should be suggesting real world substitutions and ideas to improve their request. I have personally found many clients are more than willing to hear the opinion of the professional they are hiring. I have also seldom been turned down on a suggestion for improvement and/or suggestion for modification or elimination. Why? That’s my job, my job is not just to design/develop what they want, but to make it the best it can be under the circumstances. When a client gets more bang for their buck, that bittertaste is seldom left and that leads to repeat business.
I’ll leave the rest to you, get to work and improve your process and/or product for more repeat business.
Till then… Stay Focued!
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