Let’s say you’re dealing with a software development project. You’re trying to develop an app or any other software product. Here’s how the story usually goes:
Your project is approved. Check.
You’ve assembled your development team. Check.
You’ve allocated your Product Design budget… Have you?
Wait, what? We are already behind on this project. We need to go straight to development.
—the average Project Manager’s response to allocating a design budget
This kind of reasoning is unfortunately still quite popular in digital projects.
I understand where this is coming from. It can be really tough to see the value of user-centered product design.
It’s especially tough when you’re only measuring your project cost in hard cash, disregarding increased or more efficient feature use and higher user satisfaction.
At the end of the day, you might even say that it is possible to create software without a dedicated design team but not without developers, right?
Well, of course it is. The same way you can learn how to play the piano by just playing.
But let me ask you one additional question: is this the most effective way?