Managing Expectations in the Web Design Process

The perfect web project is one that runs smoothly from start to finish with a client who's expectations are consistently exceeded. I find my account and project management role is made much easier when I'm involved in setting and managing these expectations.

Here's how we do it at ResIM:

Cost

Being super-transparent with cost is the best policy.

By qualifying leads according to their acceptance of a certain budget range we're able to get around the less important stuff (cost) and pay more attention to the more important pieces (client and user goals, project planning, creative, etc.).

To help in this area we've started publishing pricing on our web site. Others like OnWired, Blue Flavor, and Slim Kiwi are doing the same thing.

This approach helps ensure the leads coming from our site have already considered cost while eliminating the 'I have $2,000.00 and want to build Facebook' folks.

Planning

There's much debate (older post) on the subject of creating a functional spec but it's something we do for every project.

Describing how the site or application will function before it's built firmly sets expectations and creates the scope creep boundary. Uncovering additional features before the development team is unleashed is much better than a retrofit or rebuild halfway through.

A thorough planning process combined with the review limitations I mention below allows us to arrive at a pretty firm launch target, which is also included as part of the functional spec (we call it a Project Outline).

Creative

A recent addition to our process is the provision of a visual theme prior to presenting our clients with an interface composite. The theme includes things like font, texture, colour, and photography and ensures expectations regarding these key elements are in the open before design time.

I'd also recommend trying something like these 'Moo'd Cards' created by John O'Nolan -- great stuff.

Revision Limitations

Nobody, not even the client requesting them, likes to go through rounds and rounds of revisions to creative or planning. To help mitigate this I include the following notes (not fine print) in our proposals:

On planning:

On creative:

On site review:

You don't have to be over-the-top in displaying these but in the interest of transparency, hiding them in fine print isn't the best idea. I like to include these bubbles immediately following the corresponding description in the proposal.

I'm a big believer in using an open process where expectations are set on a mutual basis and consistently managed from start to finish. Knowing where we have to be makes it easy to go above and beyond.