What are we doing and why?

Interactives live at the intersection of design, narrative and technology, so putting together a development plan can be a bit of a moving target. At the beginning of a project, a process of discovery that involves research, brainstorming and collaboration, helps define a story and a target audience.

A narrative with a beginning, middle and end takes shape, with the user as a character and an experience framed by a technology. Just as an actor has been known to ask “What’s my motivation?” the same question has to be asked and answered for the user by the interactive design.

That’s the conceptualization. The next step is the proposal, which has to engage the first audience — the client. While it is a sales pitch, it is also a description that includes the user experience, with details of technology that can put some structure to what the interactive is and how it works.

In my experience, the proposal itself becomes the first draft of a design plan, with a description of the draft interface and user interaction, input from the design and development teams, and a production plan with a budget, required skilled resources, and a schedule.