Dev Cycles: The Importance of Meticulousness
We’ve discussed dev cycles in the past, but here we are again. Let’s review.
Concept. Idea. Execution. Review.
There is the “R” word again, review.
Reviewing a document, really dissecting the project is important to do no matter how far along you are (or think you are), and I’m all for beating something around, examining its disparate parts, and making certain it stands up to my scrutiny and standards. As we grow as a studio, I’m not always as hands on as much as I’d like to be on some particular products, but they always go through my hands at several key steps. I examine them at the concept stages where we look at where things want to be and how we want to execute them. I work with the team early on in putting together the pieces in place, but then I give them the latitude (some may say rope) to execute the project according to the guidelines set forth. Usually, things come together pretty well, but sometimes they don’t?
Reasons can range from lack of experience, organization, or poorly conceived concepts or even from too many ideas altogether. While this is not ideal, it’s certainly no reason to throw up one’s hands or throw in the towel or, heaven forbid, shove things out the door half-baked. One of my favorite pleasures is getting something into the proper shape and form, and organizing chaos. Consider it my personal pitched battle against entropy, but whenever I see something, whether it’s by my own hand or others, I look at ways to improve its form and function to deliver the best experience we can deliver. When the team has a problem, I have a problem, and we work together to overcome them. Sometimes, I have to roll up my sleeves and dig in, and I certainly do not mind getting my hands dirty (and, I understand, I do pretty well with tidying things up).
Today, I had the opportunity to do some restructuring on one of our projects, and the development team was doing a pretty solid job. The part that got muddled was my suggested improvements were poorly executed–not through their fault–but through my own. GIGO, as the old saying goes (Garbage in. Garbage out.). The material I directed them to use was not completely formed, so, when I revisited it, I got to kill two birds with one stone. Correcting both projects in one fell swoop. The other problem was I outlined what I was looking for via phone conversations and I should’ve tracked it in our project management system, but did not. Shame on me, all around. However, the issues were rectified and both projects shall come out the other side stronger for it.
This speaks to one of the philosophical cornerstones of the company. We strive to put together the best products we can with the resources we have available. We take each project we tackle seriously and I, for one, make sure everything goes through my hands to make certain it has the Reality Blurs’ sensibility you know and love.
In any case, today started out as a bear, but now I’m about to prop my feet up on this nice shiny bearskin rug and call it a day. Until next time, I bid you, dear reader, adieu!
