I must confess, I initially started this blog with the intention of addressing the big bad beast that is scope creep. You know, something like “5 tips on how to avoid scope creep with your website project”… But as I really thought about scope creep – that big project management-y term that I first learned years back when being formally trained in project management and thought about just how often we deal with it – I had a bit of an “A-ha” moment.
Scope creep happens.
Scope creep should happen.
Scope creep is part of the design process.
We need to embrace it.
We need to plan for it.
We need to appreciate it.
So, I’ve turned my original blog idea on it’s head. And now I offer you 3 ways to prepare for scope creep.
- Plan for it! It’s bound to happen. You want to have the flexibility to change direction, adjust your needs as they come up. We want you to have an experience where when a new idea comes up in the process it is met with excitement, not red flags! So – ask your creative partners from the start of your relationship – “How do you handle changes in scope.” Get an understanding of what that process looks like, so it isn’t a surprise when it comes up. Have I mentioned – it will come up?
- Cushion your budget! We want to meet your needs. We want to be flexible and wow you by bringing your visions to life. We want to accommodate the new exciting ideas that come up during the process. But most of the time, addressing these changes requires more time. Time to plan for a new approach. Time to go back and possibly undo some work to create something better. Sometimes it’s a whole new product. So these changes can often require an addendum to the proposal. Having a cushion in place will allow for these items to pop up and allow you breathing room to be able to move forward with these awesome additions to your project!
- Dream big! You may think you just need a website. But I challenge you to think bigger than that. Think outside of the confines of the specific thing you need. How do you want your website to work for you? What special features might you need on your website? Putting all of these big ideas out on the table early on lets us figure out how to make these a reality for your project. Ask for the moon, and we can go from there!
Uptown Studios is here to take your project from dream to production. Our creative team is just awesome – you should give us a try on your next project. Uptown Studios – 916.446.1082 or email info@uptownstudios.net
