Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere. Every month brings new features promising “deeper thinking” and “agentic processes.” Tech titans are locked in trillion-dollar battles. Headlines scream about business, economic, and societal concerns. Skim the news and you’re left excited and terrified!

Here’s the thing: we’re still human – virtues, flaws, quirks, and all. We’ve always had our agency, collectively shaping our future. Even now, while embracing AI, we need to keep building for us.

We Fear What We Do Not Know

“AI this… AI that…” Even tech leaders admit they don’t fully understand it. Sci-fi stories warn us with cautionary tales. News cycles fuel anxiety about job loss, disconnected human relationships, and cognitive decline.

Luckily, this round of innovation is surprisingly transparent. You can read the Attention is All You Need paper (2017) that started it all. You can even build your own AI if you want! This isn’t locked behind a walled garden. That’s a good thing.

What the Past Can Tell Us

I like to look at the past to gauge what we can expect from the future. Humans have feared every major invention and technological breakthrough. We expect the worst, but most have proven to improve life.

We’ve always had distractions from books, movies, games, to TikTok brain-rot. Some get addicted and go too deep, while others thrive. People favor entertainment and leisure activities – this is nothing new – so I don’t feel like cognitive decline is anything to worry about. Humanity has overcome all of it before and will continue to do so.

.

Humans are Simple (and Complicated) Creatures

We look for simplicity and speed. Easy to understand, easy to look at, easy to interact with, easy to buy from. We skim read, we skip video segments, we miss that big red CTA button. The TL;DR culture rules. Even so, I don’t think we’re at risk of the future from Idiocracy (2006).

That’s not to say that we don’t overcomplicate things. The Gods Must Be Crazy movie (1980) has a line that resonates, “The more [we] improved [our] surroundings to make life easier, the more complicated [we] made it.” We bury our users (our customers) in detail when they just want to skim, skip, and bounce.

Building for Computers

The computer revolution (1950s-1980s) started with machines serving humans. Then came automation. And eventually, systems talking to systems.

Fast-forward to the 2010s, where marketers gamed the algorithms to win at SEO, SEM, and social networking. Content was created for computers, not humans. Now we have the dead internet theory. We were building without humans in mind.

We will still have to build for systems to talk to systems. That won’t change. APIs are more important than ever, and agentic AI relies on them. Because of this, it is crucial to make sure what you are building “plays well with others”. But AIs and APIs are tools, not the audience.

Building for Humans

Google used to tell us all to build what people want, as opposed to gaming their systems. I love that advice. However, at first it felt unrealistic…gaming the system worked. Then after many updates, for a short bit, it felt like Google was getting there! Then it got worse and feels like pay-to-play recently.

Now AI is reshaping search and everything else. You can notice the gap between search results and AI recommendations. They don’t match. AI assistants aim to please humans, which is great, until it inevitably changes.

Digital teams must build for AI ingestion, but if you neglect the human aspect and the end user experience, then you will only see short-term wins.

Examples of Building for Humans

• Make it intuitive and easy. Simple for end users means a lot of work for builders, but it is worth it! Reduce their cognitive load.
• Build with empathy. Appeal to real people, not just personas and bots. Include feedback loops so they can feel heard.
• Get to the point. Don’t overwhelm users, instead help them take action! Delight your customers by saving them time.
• Add humor when appropriate. Don’t be afraid to be funny, weird, or real…it connects on a human level.
• Consider human bias. Unlike bots and crawlers, humans aren’t always logical. Design for human biases.
• Watch your users. Focus groups or digital tracking tools are great for observing. Learn from real users and iterate.

Conclusion

Building for humans never goes out of style. Whatever comes after AI will still need to serve people. So as tech evolves, let’s keep honing systems that work with and around our human nature.

……

If you are looking for that extra human touch (built with AI), reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

Even highly capable teams with solid plans can fall into the same ol’ traps. It’s not really our fault, human biases are hardwired into all of us. Awareness helps, but under pressure and tight deadlines, it’s tough to recognize these mental pitfalls in the moment.

Seven Common Human Bias Problem Areas

1. Optimism Bias – Wanting the best-case scenario but failing to plan for realistic outcomes.
2. Confirmation Bias – Seeking and remembering information that supports your original belief.
3. Anchoring Bias – Overly focusing on one piece of information (often first impressions) while ignoring others.
4. Sunk Cost Fallacy – Continuing investment because of past effort or money spent, even when it no longer makes sense.
5. Dunning-Kruger Effect – Overestimating your skills if you’re not an expert, or underestimating them if you are.
6. Groupthink – Aligning with the group to avoid conflict and seem agreeable.
7. Authority Bias – Going along with leadership’s opinion simply because of their position. This is also known as the HiPPO effect (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion).

The Result of Human Bias in Action

The seven biases listed above are just a few examples, but there are many more where our brains use shortcuts based on beliefs and past experiences instead of facts. In the rush to move fast, seem knowledgeable, and avoid problems, we often introduce new risks.

This might mean killing promising ideas too soon (confirmation bias), underestimating challenges (optimism), or spinning our wheels because we focus too much on sunk costs. Sometimes, the desire for consensus leads teams to follow the crowd or get swayed by less experienced voices.

I’ve been fascinated by human bias for years. Even knowing about these traps, I still catch myself falling into them. Just recently, I had to discuss optimism and sunk costs with my teams and clients.

How to Mitigate Human Bias in Projects

The biggest mistake is believing you are immune to bias. Our brains are wired to take these mental shortcuts to manage daily cognitive load. While it may seem futile to fight against it, the best choice is to build processes that protect us from our own instincts.

These safeguards fit well in Q2 of the Eisenhower Quadrants of Productivity because it is important but not urgent. Though we don’t often see it, Project Managers should include bias mitigation in their risk registers.

Here are other ways to reduce bias in your projects:

• Psychological Safety – Encourage open debate and let team members play devil’s advocate without fear…avoiding psychological barriers.
• Foster Diversity – Beyond nationality, race, and gender, include diversity in thinking styles, experiences, and expertise. Wild card team members can provide fresh perspectives.
• Track and Learn – Track and compare project estimates to actual outcomes. Use this data to identify patterns and improve over time.
• Rely on Process – Be intentional about setting up structured processes. Emerging AI tools can also help spot bias creeping into decisions.

Conclusion

Human biases hide in plain sight…even in teams that believe they’re being open-minded and careful. The best approach is to acknowledge this reality and commit to continuously challenging our own habits and instincts.

Perfection will never be achieved…we’re only human. But with awareness and intentional processes, we can get as close as possible. Bias is inevitable, but it can be managed and designed around.

……

If you are looking to aim for excellence despite ourselves, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

Building on my last post about Delighting the Customer, let’s dive into how to respond to client feedback. A strong feedback loop is mission critical. To keep your client relationships at their best, you need to know what they are thinking.

Soliciting Formal Feedback

You need to be intentional about requesting feedback regularly and systematically.

At Perficient, we use a system called “Client Insights” to gather feedback throughout the project lifecycle. During onboarding, the project manager sets up automated feedback requests for key client contacts on a set cadence. Our goal is to get actionable feedback regularly from multiple people.

For my projects, I aim for quarterly requests and rotate contacts to avoid overwhelming anyone. The frequency and recipients depend on the project size and client’s team structure.

Insights from Informal Feedback

While our Client Insights system handles formal feedback, we don’t rely on automation alone.

Poor communication is one of the five obtrusive blockers to being a great servant leader. Informal feedback offers a different angle, because some clients skip automated requests or hold back negative comments to avoid conflict.

You can ask them for feedback informally anytime, whether that be one-on-one calls, emails, or chats. Some clients may open up more in private. Remember to also document and share informal feedback.

Receiving Positive Feedback

Positive feedback feels great, but don’t get complacent. Always take action. Share the kudos with your team. Everyone plays a part, so make sure they know they’re appreciated.

Then, don’t be obvious, but probe for constructive input anyway. Try something like, “That’s great to hear! I’m glad things are going well. But I aim for continual improvement, so are you sure there’s nothing small we could do better?”

Receiving Negative Feedback

Whether formal or informal, receive negative feedback graciously. Thank the client for sharing their perspective and assure them you’ll use it to strengthen the team. Give them confidence you’ll handle their input appropriately. Clients don’t want their feedback to cause strain on their relationships with the team. Offer to keep it anonymous and tailor how you share it with your team to avoid hurt feelings.

Leaders need the full details, but others only need actionable feedback. Instead of saying, “Bill thinks you don’t know what you’re doing,” try, “The client feels we might be spinning our wheels. What can we do to get back on track?” This softens the impact and aims for collaboration. As your teammate shares their perspective it allows you to say something like, “That sounds smart. Let’s aim to catch this sooner next time.”

Leadership’s Role in Feedback

We know client feedback is mission critical. Leaders should make sure formal feedback processes are in place, easy to use, and gather information that’s actionable. They should regularly review the feedback documentation and reports, watching trends over time.

Leaders can set goals for business units, smaller teams, and individuals. If a serious problem pops up, they might need to make tough calls like swapping out resources or even letting go of poor performers. Tough conversations can’t be avoided.

Lastly, leadership should share aggregated feedback data so everyone understands the types of feedback coming in. At Perficient, this happens in regular town hall meetings by each business unit. It gives everyone a baseline on how we’re doing, helps spot trends, and lets individuals compare their own experiences against the average.

A Personal Example

About a year ago, I helped onboard a new client. They were excited for a change from their previous agency but came with some built-in frustrations about their website’s platform and solution.

At the three-month mark, our Client Insights program received the first formal input. I knew there was some tension, but I was surprised when they gave us a one-star rating. Their comments were clear: they felt our team was slow, our hourly estimates were higher than they expected, and sometimes it seemed like we didn’t remember what they told us. Ouch! That’s not typical for us, and it was tough to hear.

The leadership team and I used some of the methods I mentioned earlier. We decomposed requests into smaller pieces and took a crawl, walk, run approach with bigger requests. With the client’s approval, we agreed to exclude QA and deploy hours from ticket estimates since that seemed to inflate sizing. Most importantly, we asked the client to help by making sure tickets had all the info, including screenshots, and our team made sure to ask for missing details immediately.

After that first negative review, the next feedback jumped to three stars! Most recently, we’re at four stars, with the client saying Perficient is becoming the partner they wanted. That is great to see! But we still have that last star to earn…and we will.

Conclusion

Client feedback is key to building strong relationships. Doing it right helps avoid surprises and solves problems early. It helps you understand what matters most to the client and each person on their team. With that, you build trust by following through and always aiming to improve.

Getting a perfect review feels awesome. A bad one? Not so much. But it can be satisfying to help your team bounce back and turn things around. Sometimes, though, ratings drop and things just don’t click. That’s a clear sign something needs to change. And sometimes, the required change might just be you.

When that happens, ask for help. Get advice from leadership, take some training, and work on improving yourself to better serve your clients. Start by assuming the problem is yours, then build from there.

……

If you are looking for a partner who craves client feedback and continual improvement, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

In the last decade, “delighting the customer” has been quite popular in digital marketing. Clients have focused on user experience both online and offline. A delighted customer becomes loyal with brand affinity and drives long-term growth through positive word-of-mouth.

At Perficient, we manage two levels of delight: our clients and their customers. By delighting their customers, we also delight our clients.

In this article, I’ll share best practices for delighting clients and how to foster client feedback when they are not delighted.

Intentional Empathy

Treat others as you would want to be treated – intentionally. Listen to understand, then repeat back what you heard for validation. This approach helps you support the client’s goals rather than imposing your will. Your reactions to their comments speak volumes, so aim to be seen as a true partner.

Optimistic Realism

While we want to maintain a positive outlook, it’s important not to be overly optimistic. Clients seek reassurance that their partner is capable and ready to help. However, we must remain realistic. Overpromising can lead to dissatisfaction, so start with positivity then address potential challenges and how to mitigate them. North Star Goals fit nicely within this mindset.

Transparent Caution

You win grace with clients through transparency, but it’s important not to alarm them. You want to be open and honest at all times, but there is no need to overwhelm them with your fears and opinions. Overdoing it can create doubt, so be mindful of how you share feelings versus facts.

Six Delightful Wins

Here are some practical tips I use to delight clients:

• Start with a quick response. Don’t wait a week to reply. A basic question asked too late is embarrassing. You don’t want the client to feel unimportant.
• Send updates sooner than later. Hope is not a strategy. If things might go off track, warn the client right away. It’s better to overcommunicate and adjust later if they prefer less.
• Look for an initial fix, then a permanent solution. Clients appreciate speedy fixes. Identify the true pain point and see if there’s an immediate solution. You can always follow up with a more permanent fix later.
• Assume you are wrong. I like to say, “Assume the problem is yours, then prove otherwise.” This shows ownership and prevents defensiveness, which can waste the client’s time.
• Celebrate. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. People love to be celebrated and recognized. Spread positivity within the team and to the client to give everyone a reason to smile.
• Apologize. Apologies are free! If you miss something or handle a situation poorly, own up to it. Most clients will appreciate your humility and good intentions.

When the Client is Not Delighted

We don’t live in a perfect world, and it’s impossible to please everyone all the time. We’re fallible humans, and so we’ll continually struggle to meet these standards despite having the principles in place. It’s the pursuit of greatness that counts.

Sometimes, a client may simply be hard to please, or plans may fall apart. You might be overwhelmed with other work, or the team may not be the right fit for the task. Life happens, and there are many valid reasons for an unhappy client, despite your best efforts.

In these situations, it’s crucial to have a solid client feedback loop. This allows clients to voice their concerns safely, without fear of hurt feelings or repercussions. While you may have reasons for falling short, avoid becoming defensive. Instead, embrace the criticism and turn it into something constructive. Treat it as a lesson learned, adjust accordingly, and strive for continuous improvement.

……

If you are looking to be delighted by your digital agency, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

A friend recently shared a research paper from Oxford Academic about Large Language Models (LLMs) and their human-like biases. I found it fascinating.

The article explains how some groups use LLMs to simulate human participants. Since these models are trained on human-generated data, they can emulate human responses across diverse psychological and behavioral experiments.

It further notes that LLMs favor socially desirable responses that align with the Big Five personality traits – including agreeableness. Notably, during their experiments, LLMs would modify the responses if the researcher appeared to be evaluating it.

Confidently Wrong AI (Posturing)

I had planned to write about the phrase “confidently wrong,” which we hear often when talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI) models. Combined with the concept of AI hallucinations, this can mislead people who are expecting reliable answers from these tools.

More and more users are favoring AI over traditional online search. No doubt you’ve noticed that Google now shows an AI response above the SERP. This experience is often faster and feels more natural than manual trial-and-error clicks through links.

However, it becomes risky when the LLM is wrong. Once the AI selects an answer, it may be reluctant to admit it was wrong. Even if you challenge a correct statement, the LLM might apologize and change its answer to be agreeable. Users need to be cautious and validate the information received.

Confidently Incorrect Humans (Learning)

I have an 11-year-old son who is hell-bent on being contradictory. If I say the sky is blue, he’ll point out that it can be gray, yellow, orange, red, purple, or black. He’s not wrong, but he is frustratingly contrarian. When I tell him he’s being contradictory, he says, “No I’m not!” Even when he is flat wrong, he won’t let it go!

You’ve probably also heard the phrase “fake it ‘till you make it.” It’s meant to help those who are learning and to ease imposter syndrome. I used to hate the phrase because I prefer transparency. I’d rather hear “I don’t know” than to incorrectly think you have it under control. However, I now appreciate that it helps escape a negative mindset.

AI Confidently Mimicking Humans (Refining)

The Oxford Academic article points out that AI learns behaviors from us! It’s mostly trained on data created by humans, so it picks up our natural tendencies. If our writing is polite and avoids confrontation, the AI will be trained to follow those patterns.

Additionally, humans help validate the training – even crowdsourced to the general public. When you give a thumbs up to a response from an LLM, you’re teaching it what you prefer to see in the output. Over time it will lean toward agreeableness. While it’s not conscious, AI is learning to mimic humans.

The Con Man (Tricking)

The term “con man” or “con artist” comes from the word “confidence.” It refers to the act of manipulating or persuading people into believing something false.

Con artists have existed as long as humans have been able to communicate. There are fun ones, like magicians who amaze us with the spectacular. Then there are the bad kind that scam people out of their life savings. Even reputable sources like the BBC, CNN, Forbes, The Atlantic, and others can sometimes spread misleading information, confusing us even further.

AI is trained on a mix of data, including quality sources like scientific research papers but also the text of trolls attacking everything, and your mother, on Reddit. It learns from both the best and the worst of humanity.

The Confident Leader (Inspiring)

Confidence has two sides. We’re often inspired by confident leaders. When leaders seem uncertain, many people get nervous and may leave the group. It’s clear that we prefer a strong front over complete transparency.

Don’t get me wrong… We know that transparency is important. A quick Google search shows droves of experts saying that transparency is the best policy. We also understand the consequences of an over-confident leader.

But at the end of the day, we’re just regular folks looking for stability and security. Time and again, we’re attracted to leaders who exude confidence and instill inspiration.

Conclusion

We often laugh at poorly executed AI – it makes us feel superior. The same goes for poorly articulated statements from people – it makes us feel superior. We’ve all seen how we collectively attack and criticize each other online.

AI learns from us. It relies on us for continual improvement. It adopts our positive traits but can also mimic our negative behaviors.

As we continue to use AI, it will become a bigger part of our lives. Often, we’ll seek out the interaction, while other times, hidden AI will quietly work in the background. Just like with other people, we need to validate our interactions with AI. Trust, but verify.

……

If you are looking for a strong partner that loves AI but will verify results, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has exploded into the mainstream, largely through chatbots and agents powered by Large Language Models (LLMs). Users can now have real-time conversations with multimodal AI tools that understand your text, voice, and images – even documents! The progress has been mind blowing, and tech companies are racing to integrate AI features into their products.

AI features today are being released with obvious interfaces and promoted heavily. My prediction though is that the future of AI will increasingly lean toward hidden, unnoticeable improvements to our daily experiences.

Visible AI – Current State

In our haste to compete, most AI tools today share a similar experience: either a chatbot interface or a feature trigger. What started as fresh and magical is becoming repetitive and forced.

ChatGPT, Bard, Claude… They all share the same conversational interface, resembling many lackluster customer service chatbots. The great ones now offer multimodal capabilities like voice or video input, but the concept is the same – back-and-forth dialogue.

Meanwhile, operating systems, web browsers, word processors, and other apps are tacking on AI features. Typically, these are triggered through a cool new AI icon to generate, summarize, or improve your content.

Invisible Enhancements – Yesterday & Today

Machine Learning (ML), on the other hand, has typically been rolled out as behind-the-scenes improvements that exponentially raise user expectations. Most users don’t even realize what ML processes are at play! Nearly invisible algorithms have transformed industries.

Google revolutionized search with its deceptively simple interface – a single search box delivering surprisingly targeted results. YouTube and Netflix ushered in streaming video, but they gained more attention surrounding their advanced recommendation engines. No more wandering the aisles of the local video store and reading the back of DVD cases!

The banking industry’s automated fraud detection is another perfect example of unobtrusive features. Instead of combing through your bank statement, you are notified in real time that your bank card has been disabled and the funds returned.

AI Ubiquity – Future State

AI is not going away – it offers tremendous opportunities for both businesses and consumers. Like subscription services where businesses cut costs and increase revenue, while the consumers enjoy better experiences, convenience, and options.

However, as with subscription services (access vs ownership), there are trade-offs. AI introduces trust issues, ethical concerns, and bias. Even so, the benefits are likely to outweigh the downsides. AI will reduce cognitive load in your daily life and have a far more natural interaction with digital systems. With AI, exciting products and benefits will be introduced.

Industries like healthcare, finance, automotive, retail, and energy are already exploring AI applications. At first these will be noticeable additions, but over time, AI will become seamlessly integrated and nearly invisible.

Conclusion

There will be bumps along the way (we should learn from our past). Legal disputes and unethical practices are inevitable, but progress will continue. We’ll need to get through some of the bad to reap the benefits – in the same way that fire is crucial to society but can also be destructive – we learn from our mistakes and move forward. Human creativity and innovation have brought us this far, and now we will integrate AI to amplify our potential.

I’m excited to see what is yet to come! We humans get nervous about game-changing technologies, but history shows that we are adept at adding safeguards and correcting our course. I think we’re going to surprise ourselves.

……

If you are looking for a digital partner who is excited about the future of AI, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

I’ve spent almost 30 years in web and digital, starting way back when the “world wide web” was full of under construction GIFs, <blink> tags, and visitor counters! Nobody misses those things!

While many bad user experiences have faded away, some daily annoyances still need to go. In the spirit of Seinfeld’s “airing of grievances,” here are 12 web trends that need to end in 2025!

NOTE: This list highlights issues with better alternatives, so there’s no excuse not to fix them!

1. Skeleton Screen Fake Out

The Issue: Many websites and apps use skeleton screens – boxes and lines as placeholders – to make it seem like pages load faster. However, too many sites have abandoned consistency, and their skeleton layout doesn’t match the final content.

The Fix: Ensure your web team updates the skeleton screen whenever the page design changes. Ideally, create the skeleton with the actual HTML structure and use CSS for styling before and after the content loads.

2. Preload, Disappear, and Reload

The Issue: You open a new screen, see content for a moment, and then – POOF! – it disappears. You’re left with a blank screen until the same or new content reappears, often losing what initially caught your attention.

The Fix: This issue arises when JavaScript loads content after the initial page load. To avoid this, add coding logic to prevent existing content from being wiped out. Instead, load new content only when the user requests it (by scrolling or clicking refresh) or append it to the existing content without disrupting the user’s view.

3. Layout Shifts During Page Load

The Issue: Layout shifts are tracked by many web performance tools. While quick-loading sites minimize this issue, slow-loading pages can lead to frustrating experiences, like text rewrapping or buttons moving unexpectedly.

The Fix: Teams should manage when content is loaded via JavaScript. Using server-side rendering can ensure the page loads with complete content. For new content added after user interactions, design a way to display it predictably. Additionally, always include height and width attributes for images and resources to prevent layout shifts during the initial load.

4. Hover Effects That Shift Elements

The Issue: This frustrating experience occurs when user interactions lead to unexpected behavior. For example, hovering over an expand/collapse icon might automatically open a sidebar, causing users to click inadvertently on links they didn’t intend to.

The Fix: Avoid animating large elements or shifting layouts on hover. If you must use this behavior, ensure that any newly animated content is not clickable. A dead click is preferable to an accidental page load.

5. Multiple Page Load Pop-Ups

The Issue: You visit a new site eager to explore, but are immediately hit with a cookie banner, a chatbot, and a newsletter sign-up that covers the main content. This is a classic case of “everything is important.”

The Fix: Recognize that not everything you want to communicate is important to the user. Prioritize which message matters most and use coding logic to control when and how these distractions appear. It’s okay to show a pop-up after users have been on the page for a while, but avoid placing it over content they’re trying to read.

6. Clickbait Disappointment

The Issue: Clickbait titles are everywhere because they work, but they often lead to disappointment. You click on a title like “Is the Web Dead?!?” only to find the content doesn’t match – leaving a bland conclusion that the web is alive and well.

The Fix: Aim for authenticity. When focusing solely on vanity metrics like clicks and views, you risk misleading your audience. Follow the “golden rule” by treating your readers as you’d want to be treated. Write your article first, then create a fitting headline, avoiding scammy tactics altogether. Or if you really want a shocking headline, then put in the effort to have content that is worthy (without being deceitful).

7. Auto-Playing Videos with Sound

The Issue: Unexpectedly auto-playing videos with sound can be jarring, especially if the user is in a quiet place or already listening to something else. This creates a chaotic experience.

The Fix: Avoid being obtrusive. What you want may not align with what your user prefers. While you may not get explicit praise for muting videos on load, irritating your audience could drive them away.

8. Unexpectedly Stealing Focus

The Issue: Webpage elements can have focus, typically for form fields or interactive elements. Setting focus correctly can enhance the user experience, but using JavaScript to change focus after users have engaged with other parts of the page can be extremely annoying.

The Fix: Use built-in HTML attributes to set focus on an element when the page first loads. Be cautious with JavaScript focus changes that should only occur in response to user actions, like clicking a button to open a modal. This is also important for accessibility and keyboard navigation.

9. Forms That Want Everything

The Issue: Research shows that shorter forms convert better. Long forms that require scrolling can feel overwhelming. For instance, an email newsletter sign-up should only ask for an email address. You don’t need a company name or phone number right away.

The Fix: While your company may want to collect detailed information, consider using alternative methods like progressive profiling. This approach enhances user experience and encourages ongoing engagement without overwhelming users upfront.

10. Premature Form Errors

The Issue: User input validation is crucial for ensuring correct data entry, like email formats and password security. While real-time validation can enhance user experience, it becomes frustrating if errors are flagged before users finish typing.

The Fix: Avoid marking input as incorrect too early. For example, if an email field turns red after the second character, it disrupts the flow. Instead, use “change” or “blur” events to validate input only after the user has finished entering their information.

11. Forgotten Form Input

The Issue: On-page user input validation is helpful, but server-side validation is essential for security. When the server detects an error, it often sends users back to the form. When done incorrectly, this can wipe out their previously entered input. This can be incredibly frustrating!

The Fix: Implement coding logic to retain the user’s original input when the page refreshes. While you may need to exclude sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers, preserving other input will help avoid punishing users for minor mistakes.

12. External Link Targets

The Issue: It can be frustrating when clicking a link takes you away from the current site, especially if you’re not finished reading the content. You often want to return to where you left off, and you may get completely side-tracked and never return.

The Fix: While users can manually open links in new windows, it adds unnecessary effort. Content authors can set links to open in a new window using the “blank” target. An even better solution is to use a simple JavaScript function that automatically adds this target attribute to links that lead to different domains. This unobtrusive approach ensures a smoother user experience, even if authors forget to set it.

Conclusion

We often get so focused on our goals and metrics that we overlook the human aspect of the user experience. Many users simply “live with” poor experiences and may only complain to themselves. I’m a fan of delighting users and eliminating unnecessary frustrations.

I hope that sharing what “grinds my gears” inspires us all to improve user experiences across the web. With the spirit of Festivus in mind, let’s air our web grievances and commit to doing better in the new year!

……

If you are looking for a digital partner who has their eye on quality user experiences, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

The emotional finale is here! Don’t worry, this isn’t about curling up in a ball and crying – we’ve already done that. This final installment of my series on project estimating is all about navigating the emotions of everyone involved and trying to avoid frustration.

If you’ve been following this blog series on project estimations, you’ve probably noticed one key theme: People. Estimating isn’t just a numbers game, it’s full of opinions and feelings. So, let’s dive into how emotions can sway our final estimates!

Partners or Opponents

There are many battle lines drawn when estimating larger projects.

• Leadership vs Sales Team
• Sales Team vs Project Team
• Agency vs Client
• Agency Bid vs Competing Bids
• Quality Focus vs Time/Financial Constraints
• Us vs Ourselves

It’s no wonder we all feel like we’re up against the ropes! Every round brings new threats – real or imagined. How will they react to the estimate? What will they consider an acceptable range?

To make matters worse, everyone involved brings their own personality into the ring. Some see negotiations as a game to be won. Others approach it as a collaboration toward shared goals. And then there’s the age-old playbook: start high, counter low, meet in the middle.

Planning the Attack with Empathy

Feeling pummeled while estimating? Tempted to throw in the towel? Don’t! The best estimates aren’t decided in the ring – they’re made by stepping back, planning, and understanding the perspectives of your partners.

Empathy is your secret weapon. It’s a tactical advantage. When you understand what motivates others, new paths emerge to meet eye to eye.

How do you wield empathy? By asking real questions. Don’t steer people to what you want, instead ask open-ended questions that encourage discussion. How does the budgeting process work? How will you report on the project? How do you handle unexpected changes? Even “this-or-that” questions can help: Do you prioritize on-time delivery or staying on-budget? Do you want quality, or just want to get it done? Let them be heard.

Studying the Playing Field

The good news? Things tend to get smoother over time. If you’ve gone a few rounds with the same group, you already know some of their preferences. But when it’s your first matchup, you’ve got to learn their style quickly.

With answers in hand, it’s time to plan your strategy. But check your ego – this still isn’t about you. It’s about finding the sweet spot where both sides feel like winners. Strategize for the win-win.

If they have a North Star, then determine what it takes to follow that journey. If budget is their weak point, consider ways to creatively trim without losing the project’s intent. If the timeline is the pressure point, then consider simplifying and phasing out the approach to deliver quick wins sooner.

Becoming a Champion

Victory isn’t about knocking your opponent out. It’s about both sides entering the ring as a team and excited to start. The client needs to feel understood, with clear expectations for the project. The agency needs confidence that it won’t constantly trade quality to remain profitable.

Things happen though. It’s inevitable. As in life, projects are imperfect. Things will go off-script. Partnerships are tested when hit hard by the unexpected. Were there contingency plans? Were changes handled properly?

True champions rise to the occasion. Even if the result is no longer ideal, your empathy and tactical questions can guide everyone toward the next best outcome.

Conclusion

Emotional tension almost always comes from a lack of communication. Expectations were not aligned and people felt unheard.

Everyone is different. Personalities will either mesh or clash, but recognizing this helps you bob and weave with precision.

Focus on partnership. Ask questions that foster understanding, and strategize to find a win for both sides. With empathy, clear communication, and a plan for the unexpected, you’ll look like a champion – even when things don’t go perfectly.

……

If you are looking for a sparring partner who can bring out the best in your team, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

In this third installment of my blog series on project estimates, let’s dive headfirst into the murky waters of assumptions and uncertainty! Think of these as the gremlins of project planning – they are full of secrets and laugh along the way as they trip you up. If you’ve read my other blog posts, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of transparency. Those gremlins are hiding behind your assumptions, and if you don’t shine a spotlight in the shadows of uncertainty you’ll have some BIG holes in your project plan.

Making a Fool Out of You & Me – Assumptions

Identifying and removing assumptions should be a priority for all project planners. Let’s face it, if you are running on assumptions, then you are flying blind. And if you allow those assumptions to remain, then your whole project is going to go into a tailspin. Project leadership is not a place for stunt pilots!

Unresolved assumptions can take many forms. You often notice them when someone seeks clarity but doesn’t receive a clear answer. “We’ll figure it out later” can lead to a crash landing for your project estimate. Take time to clearly outline what’s out of scope in the SOW. Clients may have unspoken expectations around best practices, while agencies focus on budget constraints. Be explicit about what’s not included.

With assumptions in place, your project plan will be incomplete. Your project estimates will be ripped apart. So how do you avoid this turbulence? Ensure you map out your flight plan! Use a “discovery phase” or a “sprint zero” to make sure you cover details early before the project implementation begins. During these planning sessions, your team and the client can get a clearer view of the skies.

The Uncertainty Paradox

Like the fate of Schrödinger’s cat, certainty in project management and estimation is elusive. If you don’t manage uncertainty, you might get scratched!

After your team provides their best estimates, you often hear, “They’ll never go for that.” Then you reduce the cost before showing it to the client. Congratulations! Now you’re negotiating with yourself – cutting scope or profit based on a gut feeling. Your uncertainty limits the project before the client even sees it.

Negotiations with the client can also add a layer of uncertainty. The agency gives an initial estimate, but the client has their own view of the final outcome. The usual approach of starting high, countering low, and meeting in the middle may seem straightforward, but it often undermines the project goals because it is based more on financial desires than on clearing up uncertainty in the project. Once the contract is signed, other choices arise and the limited budget weighs heavily. Schrödinger’s cat is still purring, and the outcome remains unknown.

Executive Summary

Executives love to start project requests and then pull a disappearing act until it’s time for final approvals. When you hand them the packet, they’ll flip right to the end to check the bottom line – skipping that executive summary conveniently placed on the first page. It wasn’t added as a diversion tactic! Yes, their time is valuable, but an executive’s decision to skip the details comes at a cost.

Savvy business leaders know how to interpret estimates. The best ones coach their teams to expect overages – there is no crystal ball for the real world. Ideally, you’d include contingency lines for those unknown-unknowns, but if the bottom line is shown without contingency reflected clearly, the busy exec will be left with assumptions.

Some business leaders push for “not to exceed” contracts to avoid surprises. But imagine the shell game the agency has to play when the funds run out. The team will scramble to figure out how to balance quality with on-time delivery and prevent the project from losing money. There’s no fluffy rabbit to be pulled from that hat!

The winning strategy is to keep it clear and concise. Transparency is best. Show the bottom line, add a contingency allowance, and note the change management process for when the project unexpectedly shifts.

Conclusion

Don’t let the gremlins of project estimation hide behind your assumptions. Kick off with a discovery phase to remove uncertainty, include what’s out of scope, and ensure everyone knows how contingency is being handled. Your SOW should be backed by a change management process because even the best-laid plans can change. And remember, executives are pressed for time, so make it easy for them to review what their team is signing up for!

……

If you are looking for a partner who strives to remove assumptions for the sake of clarity, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

Continuing our dive into project estimating, let’s talk about two more problem areas: dependencies and project creep. These two can turn your pristine project plan into a tangled mess.

No matter the size or scope of your project – whether you have just a few dependencies or tight integration with multiple systems – you’ll be faced with sneaky requests. They may start out as good intentions but they can erode your plan, leaving your project teetering on the edge of a sinkhole.

Everything and the Kitchen Sink – Dependencies & Follow-Through

In large digital projects, the possibilities for functionality and integrations are endless – but time and money aren’t! Your team may dream of a high-end Mediterranean cruise, but the budget says you’ll be camping in the backyard this summer.

Trying to squeeze in “everything and the kitchen sink” can sink your entire project! In a client/agency relationship, this tension is real. Palpable. Clients want as much as possible, while agencies have to balance the extra work required – not just to build it, but to test and support it too. This is why many digital teams opt for MVPs (minimally viable products) and agile project management! Focus on the must-have dependencies and save the nice-to-haves for later.

Tough conversations are unavoidable – dodging them only makes things worse. Nail down expectations early. Spend the time upfront to follow-through on unresolved discussions (making sure the client feels heard) and setting realistic boundaries (ensuring the agency isn’t expected to perform miracles).

I’m a Creep – Scope Creep Management

In the immortal words of Radiohead, “But I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo. What the hell am I doin’ here? I don’t belong here.”

As a project leader, you have to be firm when a request doesn’t belong in the project scope. This is tough! Most of us are people pleasers, and no one wants to be the department of ‘no’. But we all know that “just this one little thing” can unravel an entire project. Beware of the word “just” – it’s sneaky!

This is where SOWs (statements of work) and CR (change request) forms save the day! They set clear boundaries: this is what we agreed on, and any extras will cost time or money.

I have seen new team members join after a website launch, making demands for flashy UI/UX, extreme accessibility, top-tier security features. They always make it clear that they expect all new sites to have these things. Without a well-defined scope of work, the agency is left with a black eye. But with a clear SOW it can be understood that this is what we agreed on and anything else is out of scope.

Conclusion

To keep your project on track, start by broadening early discussions to cover all possible dependencies, then narrow your final scope to avoid project creep from sabotaging your success. Perfection may not be worth the squeeze.

It’s not easy, but avoiding conversations will only cause more pain. As Abraham Lincoln said, “If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe.” Enter every new project well prepared! It will save you time in the long run.

……

If you are looking for a partner who is well prepared, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

Estimating is a precarious business – part science, a lot of guesswork, and a bit of psychic magic! The goal is to forecast the effort, time, and cost of a project with enough accuracy to avoid disaster. Project managers use some go-to methods to estimate projects. Some approaches are scientific while others are based on gutfeel and experience. And if you know people…there’s a little humor in the chaos too!

Project managers (PMs) and business analysts (BAs) typically coordinate, and subject matter experts (SMEs) add their fears. These initial estimates get blended, adjusted for unknown surprises, and finalized – sometimes after fighting it out in a debate, or we might get fancy with an adjusted average from three-point estimating.

But everyone brings hidden biases to the table. The purpose of this series of blog posts is to dive into these hidden factors that shape estimates.

CYA – Sandbagging Estimates

Overestimating happens a lot. Sometimes it’s intentional, to cover your @$$ (CYA), which is known as sandbagging. But sandbagging throws a wrench in the system, messing up tracking and comparisons (as covered years ago by Perficient’s SVP of Corporate Operations and Global Delivery, Kevin Sheen). When multiple SMEs sandbag, you end up with a flood of unnecessary hours.

A better approach is transparently including contingency. This shows everyone the real estimate, highlights the allowances made, and gives better data for analysis.

Sometimes things just end up easier than expected, so the overestimation was not intentional. This is fine, it happens. But whether an agency bills for it depends on the contract. If it was written up as fixed fee (FF), then the hours may still get billed. But for time and material (T&M) agreements, the unused hours may get cut out before invoicing.

This’ll Be Easy – Lowballing Estimates

Underestimating is another problem. You’ve probably started to assemble some Swiss flatpack furniture, ignoring the instructions – only to realize it’s way more complicated than you thought. Even the Christian Bible warns against under estimating, with Luke’s tale of building a tower without counting the cost first. In this verse, it goes so far as to say you will be mocked for starting a project you can’t finish.

ERP migrations are a great example. Unfortunately, in the corporate world, many of us have seen an ERP project fall apart – the estimates blown out of the water! With past employers, I’ve seen multiple cases of this where the project is either scrapped entirely or drastically scaled back. If assembling a bookshelf can be tricky, imagine how off an ERP estimate can get! Millions of dollars spent before realizing it won’t work as expected. They should have used Perficient!

For larger projects, it is imperative to allow more time for estimating and built-in safeguards. You can do this by using the more scientific forms of estimation, gathering multiple perspectives, and allocating contingency time for those inevitable “unknown-unknowns.”

Conclusion

Early in my career, I felt terrible when my estimates weren’t accurate. I thought perfection was the expectation. But then a colleague who led our PMO group surprised me. He said he didn’t want all projects to come in under budget. He didn’t like to see his teams sandbagging. Instead, he aimed for half the projects to come in under and half over – reflecting honest, accurate estimating.

Speaking of honesty, I once had a client who overshared. He bragged about quoting a freelance project high – a yearlong engagement – which he finished in half the time and took the rest of the year off. He was proud of it! A few years later, he applied for a job at our agency, but we remembered that story. His questionable integrity caused us to pass on his application.

……

If you are looking for a partner with integrity and honest estimating, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

“Double, double toil and trouble,” is a line repeated by the witches in Macbeth as they lay out the ominous prophecies of greatness and dire consequences for the titular character. Macbeth’s ambition envisions a perfect ending though desperate actions and moral weakness ruin it. So too are the misguided actions in pursuit of perfection which can set expectations and pressure that lead to unwanted results.

The Tantalizing Idea of Perfection

Most of us love the concept of perfection. The idea that something out there can be perfect is comforting – the perfect diamond with the perfect wedding. We search for perfection in the world with symmetry, circles, triangles, and the golden ratio. Maybe you still try to stop the gas pump on a round number when you fill your car.

As a designer in my early career, I sought perfection. The dimensions in the design would be perfectly round numbers. The typography would be perfectly kerned, with hanging punctuation, and the proper quote marks and dashes! I’ve ruined my family members who now share the same disdain for sub-par designs we see. But honestly, no one else cares. Even many designers overlook the same nuances.

I remember hearing the story of a watchmaker known for exceptional craftsmanship. He would inscribe the smallest of gears with the words, “God is in the details.” This was seen by almost no one, left only as a testament to his meticulous nature. I had once admired this story – whether true or not.

A Perfectionist’s Agony

As we see in Macbeth, a desire for such perfect outcomes can turn sour. One can become so focused on perfection that the vision can’t be realized. If it is attainable, the cost may be too high.

An author, artist, or musician who endlessly adjusts their work and is never satisfied to release it to the world. It becomes a mental block where the vision is likely impossible to achieve.

There is always more to do and more that can be done. Perfection is a moving target, and the pursuit can be an endless endeavor.

Destructive Perfection

Much like Macbeth’s ambition leading to his downfall, a perfectionist can suffer the same fate if the pursuit gets in the way of the goal.

Apologies to Shakespeare for making a comparison between Macbeth (1606) and a goofy modern comedy, but I think it’s fitting here. I love the diner scene in the movie Tommy Boy (1995) with Chris Farley. Tommy is the main character who is trying to become a great salesman. In this scene, Tommy describes how he inevitably ruins his perfect sale. He destroys his chance of closing the deal because he loves the idea of the sale too much.

Here at Perficient, we do a lot of digital and web work, and the same can play out in this industry. I’ve seen groups focused so heavily on earning perfect scores from scanning tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, Siteimprove, or other validation services. Someone on the client team wants to arrive at perfect front-end performance, accessibility, or security marks. Any site you put into these tools will fall short of a perfect score. The effort devoted to trying may prevent other improvements from being made.

Not Perfect Enough

That’s not to say we shouldn’t ever strive to be better. Of course we should!

You may be familiar with the frequently shared idea around 99.9%. Two million documents will be lost by the IRS each year if 99.9% is good enough. Over a thousand phone calls will be incorrectly routed every minute, and twelve babies will be given to the wrong parents each day. I have no idea if these numbers are accurate, but you get the idea.

There is a time and place where the goal is near perfection. Risk, regulation, and legal compliance, for instance, need to be near perfect. But in all cases, there should be checks and balances to make sure that the pursuit is justified. Does the level of effort make sense? Is the juice worth the squeeze?

The Happy Medium

We want to encourage healthy ambition but not let it become a destructive obsession. With the pursuit of perfection, you do not want to cause more harm than good.

Are there times when something can be perfectly imperfect? I think so.

There is a popular meme format that describes the cycle of a beginner, an intermediate-level professional, and an expert. The joke is that a beginner will be naïve and not understand something important that an intermediate-level person obsesses over. But as one becomes an expert, they realize the obsession wasn’t that important.

Conclusion

“Out, out brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow…” is the line where Macbeth realizes the futility and limited extent of his achievements. Is the long path worth the result? Could the results be as sweet and sometimes attained more quickly if we let up on perfection just a little bit? Yes.

Facebook once publicly stated that they “move fast and break things.” But with more scrutiny around regulations, they’ve stopped saying that. There is a time and a place for both. Find your perfectly imperfect zone of success and ensure that you spend time where it makes sense (consider the Eisenhower Quadrants of Productivity).

……

If you are looking for a perfect fit for your next project, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

<HcK 1337>