Whenever clients come to us to discuss a custom software solution, the conversation can start in many different ways. Some have extensive knowledge about what they need, and how it would be implemented. Others only have a concept or a pain point that needs to be addressed, and no idea how to go about it. The latter is most common and to be expected. After all, that’s why they reached out to us – designing software is not their area of expertise. In either case, after a bit of discussion, we almost always make the same suggestion – to create a ‘blueprint’.
Concept Blueprinting
Every great project begins with a solid plan.
What is Concept Blueprinting?
‘Blueprint’ is our term for scoping out a project as a separate deliverable prior to doing any software development. But it’s far more than putting together a couple of graphs or relationship diagrams that roughly outline the major pieces of the project. We hold discovery meetings, gather requirements, and create a set of mockups. Then we review and refine until we’ve captured the scope of the custom software solution. We then collect all the information in a branded document. We’ve even created a sample document so you can see what a typical blueprint looks like.
This process has several benefits:
- Save time and money by making changes before any programming begins
- Discovery of possible challenges or roadblocks early in the process
- Confidence that everyone has a clear, shared vision of the end product
- More complete and accurate estimation of the project
- Documentation that the client can present to other stakeholders
- The cost is applied towards your custom software development when you are ready to get started!
Get Your Project Started on the Right Track with a Concept Blueprint
This process has proved very popular because the initial blueprint project is typically lower than a full custom software project. It also helps provide much clearer information to help our clients decide if the time is right to move forward with their project. As an added benefit, the cost of the blueprint is then applied towards the custom software project price if you do decide to move forward. For a deeper dive on concept blueprinting, be sure to check out our blog about The Importance of a Plan.