Last week a fellow developer and I presented a Proof of Concept to a client on a program they wanted developed. At the start of the meeting, I reiterated the purpose of this demonstration. The proof of concept was to flush out anything we missed... and questions we might of forgot to ask.
After the demonstration was over, we actually did come out with some good insight. But that's not always how it happens. Often times, non-technical people get caught up in the flash { not Flash } of the product instead of looking at the details. Questions that need answering but don't are:
- Are we capturing the right information?
- Is this the report you want your customers to see?
- Can you think of any other graphs you'd like to have on this page that I haven't included.
- What levels of users will be accessing this site? Admins, guests, etc.
- What kind of security does this site need? SSL Cert.? Should data be encrypted?
These questions help the developer get a better understanding of what the project needs to do and how it needs to function. Don't settle for a pat on the back and a good job. It's not a good job. It's throw-away code that you shouldn't have spent much time on. Your client should look beyond the UI and get into the guts of it. If this project is not a true agile project, then this may be your last real insight you get from the client before you go down those scenic rabbit holes we all as programmers love. Before your journey, make sure your suitcase is packed with lots of customer insight!
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