ABSTRACT
To properly navigate to a solution, it is imperative that the business requirements are clearly defined and understood by all. While the first point is obvious, the latter is sometimes overlooked. As a consultant or designer, one must ensure that the client (or boss) is fully aware of the goals that one has interpreted from them and that the expectations are continuously verified. A simple comment can be made that is understood by the client as option “A,” but not fully aware of the technological limitations or caveats with that stated requirement. It is up to the consultant to investigate all the feasible options that can meet that defined goal; therefore, the need to have very clear directives is essential. Of course, obtaining a clear directive may be impossible in the beginning; but as options are investigated and detailed, the path to a design will emerge. Once a clear directive is obtained, or enough to at least begin the process, products can be reviewed for consideration. By reflecting the stated requirements back to the client, the interpretation is verified. However, it is not enough to simply just repeat what was said, but the intention of the communication must be expounded upon. In other words, someone may say they need to route traffic according to service; this can be interpreted in many ways when all the variations are known.
