Discovery
When starting a new project, it’s tempting to jump in feet first and start the key activities that deliver something tangible. But, this approach often leads to issues where assumptions have had to be made along the way. A discovery phase, whatever the size, can bring clarity to a project and help to ensure that it is delivered on time and within budget.
What is discovery?
Collaborative exploration
A discovery phase is a pre-project period of research and analysis that explores objectives, audiences, competitors and any other considerations that will affect the success of a project.
At Kind, we have found that the most effective way to run a discovery phase is together with our clients, working collaboratively to gain a shared understanding of the vision and goals for the project, as well as the resources that will be required to turn a vision into reality.
Types of discovery
- Refining goals and objectives based on organisational strategy
- Auditing competitors
- Assessing target audiences, their expectations, opinions and their needs
- Auditing existing content for reuse or repurposing
- Analysing and comparing technology options
Benefits of a discovery phase
Achieve better results
The key outcome of a discovery phase is a better understanding of what is important for the organisation and its audiences and how this particular project. Aligning a project to these important factors as well as the organisation’s wider strategy can only deliver success.
Reduce risks
A discovery phase allows an organisation to evaluate its options before committing, so there's less chance of future disappointment or frustration when a technology doesn't have the features you need or when your users don't react as you'd assumed.
Having a clear understanding of your position and a plan for the project, makes it easier for your digital partner to accurately quote for delivery, minimising the likelihood that they will ask for more budget or a reduced scope in future.
But, going in the wrong direction entirely can be much more expensive than budget creep and is certainly more costly than a discovery phase. So why risk it?
Handle internal stakeholders
One challenge we regularly hear about when running an internal digital project, is managing internal stakeholders. While it’s useful to clearly communicate the objectives and process of projects internally, that doesn’t always appease those who have a strong opinion on what should be delivered and how.
Carrying out a discovery phase will allow you to show evidence and rationale for the decisions that have been made along the way, removing the need to compete with personal opinion.
