Client: …so this is the core idea! How do we get further from here?

Us: You mean according to making a webpage?

Client: Yes…and how do you find out what should be on the page?

Us: Well…uhm, we talk with you about what you want and what you feel we need to put in there. We can have a meeting where we discuss in detail what features the site should offer.

Client: but why should we have a meeting about that? Can’t you tell us now what should be in there? Haven’t you worked on lots of similar cases before? Isn’t that what you do?

Us: Yes that is what we do, but TOGETHER with you. We have to know what you want, before we can start anything. And we can’t read that out of these 2 pages you have written. That’s why we need another meeting where you have thought about what the website should be all about in advance – how the website can fulfill your business needs. That will bring the foundation for a detailed discussion – that then would lead to a strategy plan, flow charts, card sorting, wireframes, designs etc.

Client: Hmpf.. Ok, and what should that cost then?

Us: We don’t know until you have thought about what you want…

And so it continued. A very long meeting…:-)

–

So Klaus, your comment about “Both the consultants and the clients must realize that it’s impossible to design – and build – anything if the strategy and business models are not there. …and that “just make it user friendly” is not a strategic goal in itself.” is so true. And as I see it, there is really no way or no argument for shortcutting this method of working.

To keep the cake metaphor, you do not get a very good cake if you throw all the ingredients in a big bowl as fast as you can, and leave out the stirring, before you bake it. It IS possible to make a cake-like thing this way, but why not make the real thing if you can?

And to be frank, I get slightly provoked when clients think that we are just selling “website packages” with no regards to customers or clients needs. You don’t need consultants for that….