By Nishant Kothary CHAPTER 12bordered on impossible given its scope. But what I found most fascinating
was that the stakeholders not only provided feedback on time, but also
offered incredible insights in a way I hadn’t witnessed earlier in my career.
Many stakeholders went above and beyond in explaining their
rationale when they disagreed with design team choices. Some provided
helpful historical information to aid us in making the right design
decisions. Others used their deep subject matter expertise to provide
context for the changes they suggested. Developers specifically focused on
the feasibility of implementing certain aspects of the proposed design. And
a non-trivial number of stakeholders voluntarily pulled themselves out of
the process. You got the sense that everyone was not only invested in the
project, but also focused on moving the process forward. Particularly when
the times got a little hairy.
For instance, at a later phase of the project, the art direction —
specifically, a shade of teal that was a part of the art board — was met with
some resistance. In such cases, stakeholders (even the best designers)
often focus heavily on their personal feelings towards the art, as in “I
really don’t like this!” But, there’s no way to truly weigh such feedback, and
such situations typically tend toward heavy contention. The Project Unify
group members, after acknowledging their visceral distaste for the color,
focused on providing actionable and rational feedback: everything from
suggestions on tweaks to the color, to its disconnect from the company
brand. The stakeholders acted like ideal designers.
Now, you’re probably wondering what was the essence of the email
— what can you take and apply to the next project kick-off email that you
send? There are obvious no-brainers that we’ve all picked up along the
way from basic project management books; for example, by outlining
the process clearly I reduced uncertainty, provided actionable next steps
and, in turn, improved the chances that this project was going to succeed.
While it’s impossible to know exactly else what really helped and what had
a neutral effect on this specific project, here are the core principles that I
personally took away: