Designing the end of a project is as important as designing the start

For a successful project, it is important to establish what it will take to embed the work into a client’s environment once your project ends.

A key element is identifying who in the business will be part of implementing the project, and involving them in the work early on. This not only encourages diverse thoughts and opinions, but also generates stakeholder excitement and engagement in the work.

Designing the handover means the business can continue running with the work after you’ve left. But this isn’t the only ‘ending’ that can be designed better.

Joe Macleod talks here about the end of the customer lifecycle, and how often it’s overlooked. From e-goods that are impossible to dispose of, to gyms that try to prevent you ending your membership, badly designed endings are everywhere.

McLeod sees endings as an opportunity to reflect and celebrate. A well-designed ending – whether of the project, the product, or the customer interaction – makes the whole experience more positive. It shouldn’t be overlooked.