Design Reviews - Don't Overdo It

I can appreciate the need for professionalism. But no matter how perfect you think the end deliverable may be, or how often it was adjusted at request of project stakeholders, the change was ultimately "a good idea at the time".

Remember though, last week's thoughts were exactly that - last week. Seeing the project implemented may change the whole perspective on things, from every one's point of view.

This article illustrates the situation perfectly:

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/09/11.html

How would this situation be addressed in future projects? The obvious answer would be give users frequent reviews as close to the anticipated finished product as possible. No screenshots - but real, usable examples. The pitfalls - continual additions and removals will blow out a project. This is not a bad thing though as long as the client is aware of the additional resources needed to carry out changes. If the quality of the project is higher in the end, it's all worth the extra communication.

You don't want to give a user false expectation, but you also don't want to under deliver. As long as it's properly managed and expectations are addressed - everybody will come out happier.