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Archetype studios held an informative session about creating interactive projects that meet clients’ needs and stay profitable.  Here are some questions and thoughts to keep in mind when producing a project.

Client Expectations

Does the client feel like they have the right involvement? Some clients prefer to be hands on, others want to give you everything you need and roll with it. Check in accordingly, and keep them informed.

Business Needs

• Keep the energy of the project high. You want the staff to have fun with the project and not feel overwhelmed.
• Does the project offer profitability for the studio?

Project Status, Keeping on Target

• What’s going on with the project?
• You want to hit inside of these 3 overlapping targets: business needs, client expectations, and resources. But in reality your position will shift around the map, just be aware of where you are.

Project Kick-off

• Bring clients in early to get the right input. If you contact doesn’t have the final approval, get it in the hands of who can approve it. Ask questions that only that person can answer. But don’t be
• Show what you can do but don’t be arrogant.
• Deal with vague descriptions (see next example). If the scope isn’t clear, create quick sketches of what the project can look like. See wireframes below.
• Only bring in the programmers when the job is 80-90% quoted and approved. Project owners don’t want the programmers to become overwhelmed, and want to bring them in when the scope is being finalized. To illustrate a point, they should sketch out a few examples including a small, medium, and large scope example. It nails down how much the project will cost and how much work will be involved.

Project Description Example and Feedback

An sample interactive project description might contain:

• video playback
• place for ads
• category labels
• sharing options
• user playlists
• fullscreen mode

This description does not say:

• how much time you have
• how much money is at stake
• what kind of project it is (website, iPhone app, widget, etc),
• how they will host the videos
• how many videos their are
• where the videos are coming from and how’s processing them

Sketching, Wireframes, and Prototypes

• When sketching, label every blank box. Add buttons and fake text to label everything. Vague objects can be misleading and not leave room for the actual content.
• Prototypes can vary from a PDF with simple sketches and descriptions, to flash animation, to movies.
• Using movies helps to illustrate complex animation in simple steps. If created in flash, animate a few seconds and add pauses. Discuss options for each segment on those pauses. The pauses allow the client to digest it at their own pace.
• Working applications are usually a mistake because the client will often ask for the final product quicker than realistically possible.
• If using a pdf with sketches, leave room on the sides with client questions from the programmer.

Tags: agency, interactive design, process, SXSW, SXSWi
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