SIGIA-L Mail Archives: RE: SIGIA-L: eliminating ideas that don'
RE: SIGIA-L: eliminating ideas that don't benefit the user
From: Adam Polansky (adam.polansky_at_raremedium.com)
Date: Thu Apr 26 2001 - 15:48:44 EDT
An unfortunate reality of consulting is that you were hired to make
recommendations. If the client doesn't want to follow your recommendations,
you have a choice...do what they want or walk away. You are tempting fate
if you think that the light-bulb is going to come on during a luicid moment
and the client is going to say "Oh my! You were right all along!" The more
likely scenario is for them to ask how you plan to implement their [MyYahoo]
tools and for you to tell them that you've marginalized that feature set.
The only thing they will see is that you didn't do what(in their minds)you
were hired to do.
Are you doing your client a service by putting the emphasis trivial stuff?
No.
Are you doing the site visitors a service by putting the emphasis on trivial
stuff? That depends. We had a project here for a very large healthcare
provider. The plans included "On-demand medical resources from a
sophisticated database as it's primary feature. Contextual inquiry revealed
that the thing that visitors wanted more than anything else was a usable
provider directory...not very fun or sexy, but that's what they really
wanted.
How bad does this suck? A lot!
So I'll rephrase. You can suggest an approach but if you're going to stay
on and do the work, you have to do what the client wants. (My apologies to
all the moral stewards of the craft.) You can push for something better but
you have to pick your battles or if you are even going to fight.
Good luck.
Adam Polansky : : Senior Information Architect
Rare Medium : : Dallas
2207 Commerce Street
Dallas TX 75201
vox 214.742.7273 x255
cel 214.868.4157
-----Original Message-----
From: brian_at_DeepDay.com [mailto:brian_at_deepday.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2001 1:54 PM
To: sigia-l_at_asis.org
Subject: SIGIA-L: eliminating ideas that don't benefit the user
Everyone,
OK so here's the deal, and forgive me I'm not a very good writer... My
client, for whom I am doing some experience/info design work for, is
developing an information portal/vertical for a very targeted demographic.
They are basically targeting education professionals (nonprofit) with
information about how to best integrate technology into the education
process. The person in charge of this group is very bells and whistles
oriented and sees benefit in many features that I, and most people involved
with the project, do not believe will directly benefit the end user. One
such set of these benefits include a MyYahoo type of tools including a
calendar, notes, and address book type feature.
We are now in the process of developing information and functionality specs
on this project and they have divided it into 2 phases. The second phase
being the one in which the "MyTools" will be integrated. Anyone who has
experience in developing specs will know that since that second phase is
involved, the process is significantly slower and seemingly pointless in
some areas since those of us involved are overlooking these features hoping
that one day the client will realize that they are unnecessary. So it seems
that we are wasting a large amount of time and energy, not to mention
potentially making design compensations trying to fold these features into
the future phase of this site.
So, all that said hopefully you can see the position I am in and identify. I
have tried, pretty unsuccessfully, to convince the client that these tools
are unnecessary, but maybe I haven't used the right technique. The politics
of the organization make it very difficult for one person, on contract to
step up and throw down. So, I'm turning to you, my IA comrades, for help. I
would greatly appreciate it if anyone could offer some advice on how I can
best handle this situation.
Thanks in advance,
brian
--
Brian van Veen
Experience Architect
415.777.3113 office
415.377.3399 mobile
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