A brief is the beginning of a product’s story. A good brief asks questions, and it provides direction for problem solving, but it does not solve the problem. The brief should leave room for aesthetic, mechanical, and production-related changes. It defines boundaries and creates a foundation for the product. A good story needs a good beginning.

If the brief is the beginning of a story, then sketches are the story’s illustrations. We don’t yet have a product, but sketches offer a glimpse into the future of the product. It’s important to be careful at this stage and not dream too much, or you may risk getting stuck or thrown off course.

Design is the most interesting part of telling a product’s story, this is where visions become reality. The product’s mechanics are actualized, and its aesthetics begin to have an emotional affect. We finally have a physical object to see and touch.  Everything won’t always go smoothly the first time, and sometimes another iteration is required. The important thing is to draw the right conclusions and to keep going, never stop halfway.

The product is finally ready and awaiting future users. They’re eager to begin enjoying the result of our work. We’re left with the most important and necessary aspect of creating our product. This stage is similar to book editing where sometimes small changes need to be made to simplify production. And once the product is released, it’s possible that users will want changes. Product support is no less important than any other stage.