Just Keep at It

When projects start to look like they are going to be late, not be delivered or seemingly impossible to complete, there is one phrase that you need to hear.

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming"

Yes, this may come from a children’s movie, but it doesn’t make it any less important. When all seams lost, don’t jump ship, just keep going. Focus on what you need to do next. Let people know about the issues that are causing the delivery date to slide, or functionality to not be delivered. As the saying goes, the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

And trust me, things are likely to get worse before they get better. It is the nature of things. Call it Murphy’s Law, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that you need to keep at it. You can get though; just try your best to stay positive. Get positive people around you who can encourage you to get though.

Anyways, I hope that to those who are in the middle of one of those projects this lifts your spirits and your eyes can see the light (even if it is the size of a pin hole) at the end of the tunnel. And no, it isn’t an oncoming train. :D

It's all in the detail

Have you ever wondered why you complete a project and not gotten the pat on the back for all the hard work? When that happens to me I generally find it is because I have provided the overall concept of what was wanted, but the fine detail was missing.

By detail I mean the simple things like getting the User Experience right. This includes wording and correct spelling (yes, spelling is important); but also the pecieved way that features should work as apposed to the actual way that they work. It might do the same thing, but users generally know what they expect to see, even if they can't communicate that with you.

So, to finish, a word to the wise. While you need to make sure you deliver the project or functionallity, make sure you don't forget the details that will really make the UX just that bit better.