How Does Increasing the Number of Touchpoints Result in Higher-Quality Output?
Have you Ever Been Part of a Product Development Team Where the Result Didn’t Meet Expectations?
Introduction
As a creative, you might have encountered situations where the solution failed to meet the acceptance criteria or scope, lacked parity with the design, or didn’t comply with the design documentation, such as behavioural guidance or accessibility criteria. Obtaining low-quality solutions leads to decreased trust among teams, increases Visual Quality Assurance (VQA) time, and can negatively impact a brand’s reputation and the customer experience (if released).
Who’s Responsible for Poor Builds?
Developers responsible for turning the design into a functional product can often work in isolation and make assumptions when unsure about a design or its documentation. But are they to blame? The root cause of the issue usually lies in a need for more communication, work sharing, and documentation from designers, who are responsible for creating the design and ensuring its technical feasibility during refinement.
Ways to Enhance the Quality of the Output
Increasing the number of developer touchpoints throughout the development lifecycle can significantly enhance the output quality for both new and existing teams. This approach fosters a more profound investment from developers and ensures a clearer understanding of your expectations for delivery.
Designer-Developers Touchpoints
Low-Fidelity Wireframing
The designer should provide the development team with wireframes and research insights (if applicable) to ensure technical feasibility.
Hi-Fidelity Designs
The designer should provide the development team with a surface layer design and research insights (if applicable) to ensure an understanding of all possible scenarios.
Documentation
The designer should share design documentation with the development team to ensure an understanding of all requirements, including behavioural and accessibility guidance.
Daily’s & Refinement
The team should work together during Agile ceremonies, whether using Scrum or Kanban, to address any questions before or during the build.
Build
The designer should be available during the build to answer developer queries and avoid assumptions.
VQA
The developer should contact the designer to demonstrate the solution, covering all possible scenarios and accessibility requirements. The designer should identify design and documentation issues as change requests, which the developer should address before release.
Performance Monitoring
After the release, it’s not the end of the road. The development team, product owner, and designer should continue collaborating, monitoring, and iterating on the solution’s performance. This ongoing process ensures that we are constantly striving for the best.
Summary
Addressing poor output is crucial, but it’s important to remember that blaming others is counterproductive. The root cause often lies in working in silos. We can significantly improve output quality and speed by fostering a culture of collaboration from the outset. This approach also leads to more invested and motivated teams.
