Our clients tell us our Form & Behavior Specification is the most useful document they've ever seen. With pixel-perfect screen drawings and detailed descriptions of behaviors, controls, visual style, and guidelines for extending the design, developers know exactly what to build. Better yet, managers know exactly what's supposed to come out of the coding process, so they can measure success by something other than a deadline and a checklist.
Having a great specification won't add hours to the day or make your programmers superhuman, but it will help you accurately assess the amount of work they need to do. Cooper clients find it saves them as much as half their programming time by eliminating false starts and direction changes. It also speeds up everyone else's work: sales people have something to show earlier, the QA team can write test cases earlier, and the tech writers can create user documentation straight from the spec.
How do we get there? The design team uses detailed scenarios—starring the user personas—to uncover issues and create the right solutions. Our integration of interaction, visual and industrial design ensures that every aspect of the product supports the user experience (and your brand).
There are a thousand details to get right, so we involve all the right people. Usability tests help us sand any rough edges. Consultation with subject matter experts and stakeholders helps us avoid missing details. Frequent collaboration with developers helps us avoid surprises in the final spec, so you're confident that what we deliver can built by your team, on your timeline.