In software design, it is far too easy to get caught up in the exploration of and struggles with technology. And that can obscure a fundamental fact: design is a communication issue, not a technical issue. The subject of the design may be technical; but the purpose of the design is to communicate the technical issues and your technical solutions: to the implementors, to the analysts, to the users, to the documenters, to the testers, to the managers, and to any other stakeholders.
And often, designers are not the best persons to judge whether their designs successfully communicate. They may be too close to the problem. They may be too attached to their own vision, and thus less than objective. They may see the problem only from their own narrow perspectives, with no grasp of larger issues. But often, their strength itself is their failing: because they regularly deal with complex technical issues, they may bring understanding and assumptions to the design that other stakeholders do not share. So the design may not communicate as well as they believe; and a design that fails to communicate is a design which is likely to fail.
The best way to ensure that your design communicates is through design reviews; but not every team has the time or the training for effective design reviews. Martin L. Shoemaker Consulting can fill that gap. With an experienced analyst and designer as your lead reviewer, your team can perform more effective reviews. As an objective outsider, your lead reviewer comes to the table with no preconceptions or assumptions, but with a host of review techniques that will help your people to ensure a successful design.
For more information on design reviews, please contact us.