The S.I.M.P.L.E workfow provides a guide for how we should be working with clients at Leaf. It’s not design or development specific, but instead focuses on how we work through identifying problems, solutions to those problems, and then delivering those solutions.
The workflow has a few key themes: a linkable point of reference, client communication, and seeking help.
To help it stick, we’ve forced developed a clever acronym for the workflow - S.I.M.P.L.E!
This might be given to you clearly by the client, but they might need you to communicate with them to help get a shared clear definition of the problem.
When you feel you have that shared understanding, ensure it’s clearly defined somewhere linkable. This might be a Basecamp message, a Trello card, or a Pivotal ticket. The important thing is to provide a linkable point of reference where someone can check the status of the work.
There might be one clear solution to the problem, or several with different benefits and drawbacks. For example:
- If the problem is time sensitive, is there a solution that gets 80% of the problem solved in 20% of the time?
- If there’s a good solution that doesn’t need to be done all at once, could it be split up into phases?
- Is there an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone?
- Can a bit more work now save a lot of pain in the long term?
Unless the solution is completely obvious, communicate with the client, combining your expertise with their business knowledge in order to understand the possible solutions available. You may also need to reach out to your co-workers for assistance.
Agree with the client on a solution. You may want to communicate a few options and have them choose based on benefits and drawbacks, or you might make a recommendation. Ensure the chosen solution is clearly communicated under your linkable point of reference.
If the solution isn’t a obvious choice, highlight key considerations in the linkable point of reference. Reasoning is often forgotten, and is frequently invaluable to refer back to.
Lastly, provide a date estimate on your linkable point of reference for the chosen solution. If you think it’ll take you 5 working days to complete, figure out what date 5 working days is and then communicate that specific date, not “5 days”. This prevents confusion around how hour/day estimates translate into real world time.
Referring to Leaf’s design and development handbooks, implement the solution to the problem.
If you get stuck on a coding or design problem, don’t wait too long to ask for help. We’re all paid to solve problems, and that frequently means putting aside our pride and getting ourselves unblocked when we’re stuck or bogged down in the unknown. There’s no such thing as a stupid question, and we all have blind spots, so ask and avoid frustration.
Keep the client updated on progress where necessary. For example, if you’ve previously indicated to them it’d be completed by a certain date, and you realise it’s actually going to be take longer, let them know ahead of time on your linkable point of reference.
If things are overrunning significantly, ask for help and try to work towards a solution together with your Leaf co-workers.
The work isn’t done before it’s live. Always assume it’s your responsibility to get the work live, and push it towards going live accordingly. For example:
- If the client needs to sign-off on the solution, arrange sign-off for your work.
- If the client has their own testers, arrange any required testing for your work.
- If you need code review, politely and proactively seek code reviewers.
If you’re unsure about what you need to do to get your work live, ask for help. Don’t just leave it and move on to the next bit of work.
Note: In cases where the specific problem isn’t solved by a software deployment, replace this step with the appropriate equivalent, i.e. Sending some finished, and signed off designs to the client’s development team.
Once the solution is live, update the client on your linkable point of reference for the problem. Include any necessary links or resources that they might need.
If you need the client to verify anything, ask them to do so here, and don’t consider it the work done until you get the response you’re looking for.