2. Client involvement

Example: online web store

As the client can't be expected to understand the technicalities of the system, the developer often uses client-friendly tools.

For example, a developer putting together an online web store may use a static graphical mockup made in Photoshop to show the style and layout of the site. This of course, cannot demonstrate how the site is to work.

To gain agreement about navigation, user experience etc the developer may use an interactive wireframe tool. This is mostly laid out as grey blocks on each page where user interactions are to take place - there is no 'back-end' at this point for data processing and no final graphic elements either. But the client can click on the boxes to see how they may behave in the final version.

Other tools will be brought to the fore as the site becomes a reality.

The point is, the client has to have an input at every key stage of the project. To formalise this, there is often a 'client sign-off' event at certain stages in the project and this is often when an invoice is raised for work completed to date.