Know the distance between you and your customers and choose words that will convey that
-Communication that web directors should be aware of-

Hello, I'm Nishijo, the leader of the direction team.

Since the director has the most opportunities to interact with clients during web production, today I will talk about communication with clients.

Who is the schedule for?

At the first meeting, the director will submit a detailed schedule to the client and explain the overall flow of the production. What's important here is whether the explanation can be translated into words that the client can understand.

For example, in a schedule, you can set major items like the following, and then further break down tasks by person in charge and break them down into more detail.

*For reference, please see Oyabu 's article "How to Create a Project Blueprint and Schedule [Basic Edition]" for information on how to create a schedule.

Based on this schedule, we will carefully explain each step of the web production process.

For example, like this...

Number 17 is called "basic design," and it is the framework for the entire website.
The "UI" in number 18 "Basic UI Design" at the beginning of this skeleton stands for "User Interface."
This refers to the interface (method, operation, display) for exchanging information between a computer and a user.
When creating a website, we first design a hierarchical structure and navigation menu that are easy to understand, straightforward, and easy to use for users who visit the site.
Until this is finalized, we cannot create the design for the lower layers. Everything is intentional, including whether the local navigation on the lower layers will be placed on the right or left, and we will propose a design that matches the content, so we will finalize it at the time of "Decide" in step 23.

Well, let me explain it like this.
In addition, the production process involves terms unique to the web industry, such as "wireframe" and "coding," so we need to explain each process in a way that allows the customer to visualize it, while taking into consideration terms that may be unfamiliar to them.

By doing so, you can share with your client what steps will be taken to complete the website. Only at that point can you prepare to move forward together with them to the launch (goal) according to the schedule. If there are any delays or advances along the schedule, adjustments will be necessary, but if the client understands the process in advance, adjustments can be made more smoothly.

What is more important than the task at hand?

In addition to detailed schedules, the same thing can be said about task management sheets .
A task management sheet is a list of tasks (things that need to be done or unclear points).

At the beginning of a project, there are a few questions that we always ask the client. These questions will be necessary for future design, coding, and release. By clarifying them in advance, we can make the subsequent processes go smoothly without any problems.

For example, some questions to ask include:

*For reference, please see Nakagawa's article "Task management table for directors using spreadsheets" for instructions on how to create an issue management table.

How does the director communicate these questions?

Simply telling the literal words will not get the message across to your customers. If you are bombarded with questions such as "Server environment?", "Display guarantee?", and "Viewing resolution?", which are all words that have no connection to your customer's business, your customers will be left with a series of questions above their heads. Leaving these questions as questions will lead to misunderstandings later on, so it is important to explain each question in detail and with care. This will create a foundation for building a relationship of trust with your customers.

So what does a thorough explanation mean?

Especially when it comes to issue management sheets, it is important to make the intention of the question clear, translate it into words the customer can understand, explain why the information is needed, and what the problem would be if they do not confirm these things.

Even if your project has just begun, knowing these things in advance can make a big difference in how you reach your goal.

summary

Needless to say, you know your business better than anyone.
On the other hand, explanations of systems, wireframes, and designs are our areas of expertise, so we can give you straight answers.
During interviews and discussions, the on-site director is required to decide on a direction together with the customer and think together with them to discover what they want to communicate.

The important thing is whether the message is conveyed in words that can be properly understood.

As shown in the examples of detailed schedules and issue management sheets, the words used in the web industry are not necessarily everyday words for customers.
We tend to use the same term when speaking to customers as we do when speaking to staff in our company, but this leaves people confused and leads to misunderstandings.
To avoid this, you need to choose words that will get your message across.
Only by communicating this awareness to customers can we give them a basis for making decisions.
You can extract the information you want.

It goes without saying that I need to be creative in how I communicate my area of expertise, but I also need to put myself in the other person's shoes, translate and summarize what they are looking for, and empathize as part of a team working toward the same goal. I believe that repeating such actions leads to relationships of trust, and I would like to continue directing in the future.