[sublinear]

> Biggest single factor causing issues is to start late.

This entirely depends on the dev team working on it and the complexity of what's being asked for. As a developer, I'd rather start late on simple ideas than start early on incomplete and overly complex requirements.

I've seen plenty of projects be absolutely destroyed by product managers and designers with main character syndrome and their own lack of attention to detail and being entirely unresponsive to or flat out inexperienced at answering the technical questions from developers.

Those design decisions are sometimes even late and only mentioned after dev has started. That's completely unacceptable on any project. Requirements and designs are their own intermediate result and demand just as much finality as the product itself. Every revision will erode the final product and mess up a deadline. Developers should not be along for the ride with indecisive designers. Go to the developers with a completed vision and no stone unturned and you will have the best results. Level of experience throughout the project must be equal.

The implementation details are far more important to the overall UX and polish of the result than the visual design. The implementation details can't be ignored or you risk an uncoordinated shit show.

[SnoozingBoa]

”Start late” in relation to paying attention to details, testing UI and other quality aspects that are not visible in the beginning. In simple terms: budget some time to handle unknowns. Or at least some of them.

When it comes to the amount of upfront design needed…

…yes, everyone agree ”complete vision no stone unturned” is the optimal. That is easy ask.

In real life that is not possible, unless you are working with incredibly small scope OR without any schedule. I.e. not possible. Business with money involved? Just no.

Agree on level of experience. Experience usually helps a lot.

Unable to design and develop system with certain level of uncertainty and adaptability is the real tragedy.

I believe everyone should be interested on the possible routes ahead. Assuming one or two persons are able to foresee some unknowns is intellectually lazy. Expecting them to brainstorm it out to the detail infront of some whiteboard is just not how real life works.

[sublinear]

> Unable to design and develop system with certain level of uncertainty and adaptability is the real tragedy.

I'm entirely willing to sound like a naive fool for saying this, but the tragedy from my perspective is business not willing to accept that the majority of the risk comes from letting people with less technical experience be in charge of people with more. That's just plain dysfunction and all too common. Many businesses waste so much money on scaling up their teams when they should be focused on hiring or training up the best.