Charles B. Kreitzberg, Ph.D.
President
Cognetics Corporation

The battles between IS and users are both common and destructive. This paper discusses the communications problem and ways to overcom it. It was originally published in NetMarketing, a supplement to Advertising Age, in the Fall 1996 issue.

Recently I was asked to help a corporation complete a Web-based software product. At the first meeting, I positioned myself in the center of a large conference table with the marketing folks on one side and the information technology (IS) staff on the other. To get the meeting started I asked, "So, what is this software supposed to do?" Five minutes later, I was in the middle of a pitched battle between Marketing and IS.

Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. And it is highly destructive to the strategic goal of opening a Web-based channel for marketing and sales. How can marketing and IS cooperate more effectively?

The core of the problem is communications. On the IS side, there is often a feeling that marketing does not understand the complexity of the technical process and demands arbitrary changes late in the development cycle, threatening budgets and schedule. On the marketing side, there is often a feeling that programmers are arrogant and unwilling to communicate in non-technical terms. Marketing may feel that risk is disproportionately allocated since they have ultimate responsibility for the acceptability and success of the electronic product.

What programmers need most are complete and unwavering specifications so they can meet (often unreasonable) delivery deadlines. What marketers need most is the ability to view the product early in the development cycle so they can make changes and refinements. To meet these goals, all electronic products should be developed using a technique known as rapid prototyping. In rapid prototyping, a clear set of design objectives are set and the product is "mocked-up" at early stages of development so that it can be reviewed before making significant investment in coding. Rapid prototyping allows the marketing staff to evaluate the product's look and feel early enough to make changes. As a by-product of this process, the programmers can use the model as a specification for the final product.

One objection which is often raised to rapid prototyping is that "we don't have time." While it is true that many projects are developed on the fast track, research shows that nailing down the design at an early stage can reduce total development time by 30%. Eliminating churn, false starts and unnecessary re-do's can pay off handsomely

Another benefit of prototyping is that it allows you to test the software with consumers at an early stage. Consumers have lots of choice and little motivation to struggle with Web products. Therefore you must find and eliminate any design flaws that make your product hard to use. Perhaps because they are so immersed in technology, programmers are generally poor at identifying usability problems with software they develop. However, there are a growing number of usability specialists, both independent consultants and companies. Hiring one is usually a good investment. A usability consultant should not only help develop the design for your electronic product but should also be prepared to design and run consumer tests for you.

Finally, designate a single individual as ultimately responsible for design decisions. Products designed by a committee are usually compromised because they lose design integrity. Of course input from many sources is both welcome and useful, but there needs to be a single point of control. A product manager with appropriate skills can be this decision-maker; otherwise a qualified design specialist should report directly to the product manager. The individual responsible for design should be comfortable with technology but should be able to view the product from a consumer's point of view. Many electronic products fail because the designers overestimate the consumer's ability to cope with technical barriers and also overestimate the consumer's motivation to do so.

Designing and implementing electronic marketing products is complex. Because this channel is relatively new there is little experience on which to draw. Attention paid to design at the start of a project will repay the investment many times over.