Why everything is wrong about the way we do scope for digital products

Design First Approach: Improving Project Scoping for Better Outcomes

We often receive a file (typically a word doc or Powerpoint slide) outlining a project's scope. While the document provides an overview of the project, it shouldn't be considered a scope document.?

One may list features in these documents, such as a dashboard or an online payment interface. These are often too vague and provide no real value, as one can create a dashboard in many ways.?

There are some expected problems whenever one starts a project with an ill-defined scope:?

1. People can have varying ideas of how an online payment interface should look. Therefore, there is no clear product vision to align the team.??
2. Timelines are rarely, if not never, met. When the scope of a project is not well-defined, it continuously grows/changes. (Have you encountered a key stakeholder requesting significant changes mid-project because another app inspired him?)
3. Many vital decisions, such as technology stack and architecture, are left unanswered early on. These decisions are critical for a system's scalability, efficiency, stability and flexibility.?
4. As a result of the above reasons, the cost always increases.?
5. Conflict can occur within the project team and, between the project team and the client.?

You may then ask, "how about creating detailed documentation and planning before development?" While this method may suit some businesses (those with strict regulatory requirements or fixed offerings), it has several drawbacks:

• There is usually a lot of planning and documentation upfront by key stakeholders, which is time-consuming and can delay the start of development.?
• Lack of customer involvement since they are rarely involved in the initial scoping process -> when customers are finally involved, it is often too late and costly to make drastic changes.

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So what is the solution?

We propose breaking the product development into two stages:?

• Stage one: Design (using the design thinking approach)
• Stage two: Development/Coding

For example, if the project budget is $100K, one can allocate at least 20-30% for designing the product.?

You may ask, what's design thinking??

"Design thinking is an iterative methodology which provides a solution-based approach to solving problems. It's beneficial when we use it to solve problems of our business that are ill-defined or unknown—because it serves to understand the stakeholder's and customer's needs in human-centric ways with numerous ideas in brainstorming sessions directly with customers and adopt the best and hands-on approach to prototyping and testing for solutions."

• Adapted from Interaction Design Foundation

When we define project scope (requirements) as set in stone from the onset, we lose the opportunity to innovate and practice design thinking.?

Generally, there are five non-linear stages in the process:?

• Empathize: research your users' needs.
• Could you define: and state your users' needs and problems?
• Ideate: challenge assumptions and create ideas.
• Prototype: start to create solutions.
• Test: try your solutions out.

Image credit:?CareerFoundry

https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/design-thinking-process/

Using collaboration and prototyping tools like Figma, Miro and Invision, we can engage stakeholders, team members, and existing and prospective users. Activities can include:?

• Problem analysis?
• User interviews?
• User surveys?
• Competitive Analysis?
• Feature prioritization?
• Wireframing?
• Low-Fidelity designs
• High Fidelity designs?
• Prototyping and usability testing (this allows stakeholders and users to interact with a click-through prototype). An example that we did is WSG.?

Image credit: Springboard

https://www.springboard.com/blog/design/design-thinking-tools/

It will take a few iterations before anything is ready for development. However, the benefits are aplenty:?

1. It simulates actual products without huge investments.
2. Making changes to the prototypes based on feedback is quick and easy.?
3. Ability to spot potential issues early on and prevent them:?

• Developers can visualize the product and examine its technical feasibility.?
• Businesses may prevent the build trap by identifying unnecessary features, saving time and money.?
• A prototype to present your ideas to customers and investors, reducing the risk of creating a product that nobody wants to buy/fund?

3. Timeline and budget are set before development commences - no surprises!?

4. Alignment of the project team and stakeholders when everyone has a clear vision of what is the final product?

• Iterations at the prototyping stage mean there are fewer changes in the product after coding commences
• Developers can focus their energies on the implementation of features rather than on re-works?
• Time and cost savings for the customer

For the project scope and quotation to be accurate, there are two key steps:?

1. Scoping using design thinking as a tool?
2. We detail the tech stack and tech strategy in a separate contract (This will be crystal clear after we complete step one)?

If it is so simple, why doesn't everyone do it??

1. Creating prototypes incur additional cost under a separate project and contract. Government grants do not cover the cost.?
2. Prototyping and designing take time which may appear a challenging thing in first although long run, it saves time.
3. Design thinking is a collaborative process. Clients also need to put significant time and effort into the process.?
4. Design thinking wants you to co-create with your customers and stakeholders. Some companies and Founders prefer to share their product details with customers until it's fully prepared.?