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  1. Lynne Polischuik
    Lynne Polischuik at |

    Nice post, Lis. I agree: “It depends” just doesn’t cut it, and that extends even beyond the startup space. One thing I am pretty blunt about very early on in any discussion with a new client is the reality of budget–that really helps to answer a lot of the “It depends” questions 🙂 If they really are bootstrapping and have very little budget, then guerrilla/small may be all there is allowance for and getting into explanations of enterprise-level research studies is just a waste of everyone’s time–but if their budget for design and research seems unreasonably small I also tend to inquire where their dollars are actually being allocated. I read a quote somewhere recently that was something along the lines of “Fine if you have no budget for research–but what is your budget for redesign if this launches and completely fails?” I think it’s important to underline that UX can actually save a lot of time and dollars over the long run, and to help founders re-align budgets (and expectations) accordingly. I think it’s important if you’re going to be a consultant that you actually ‘consult’. Don’t just listen to clients while smiling and nodding–think hard about the strategy they are laying out for you and offer feedback on feasibility and ways it could be optimized. A good client will heed this advice–and everyone can be more assured of a satisfying project outcome.

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