Simultaneous translation of the most… poetic customer requests.

The great illusion of simplicity

There is a phrase that makes developers shudder, much more than a bug in production or a customer who says “I just changed two things in the code, it doesn’t work anymore”.

This sentence?

“It’s simple, I just want a small site »

Spoilers: “fair,” “small,” and “simple” are words that typically hide a sprawling 23-step project, including 8 unplanned, 3 mystical, and 1 involving a form with PDF teleportation.

CMS: the conductor of your site (but without a baton)

Here is a guide (not exhaustive, but very liberating) to decode beautiful sentences full of innocence... or traps.

“I just want a showcase site »

Developer translation:

“A site with 5 pages… but also a filterable gallery, an interactive map, an animated FAQ, integration with Google Maps, and a blog. Oh, and it loads quickly. Very quickly. On all devices. Even on a connected fridge. »

“It’s just a contact form. »
Developer translation:

“With 17 mandatory fields, 30 logical conditions, a file selector, an intelligent captcha, sending to two different email addresses, a copy to the user, and automatic saving in an in-house CRM. Simple, right? »

“I wish I could edit it myself afterwards. »
Developer translation:

“Create an intuitive administration interface, customize the CMS, provide modular blocks, secure access, document everything… and cross your fingers that no one deletes the home page by accident. »

“I found an example on a site, I want the same. »
Developer translation:

“Reproduce a design made by a team of 12 people with a budget of $100,000, but in 48 hours, with 2 round trips maximum, a budget of $3,000 and IE11 compatibility (just in case). »

“The site must be simple but modern, fast but comprehensive. »
Developer translation:

“Make a model that makes Figma cry with happiness, code as fast as an SSD, a design as trendy as a startup in 2019, and a site as light as a mojito on a terrace. »

It’s not (always) bad faith

Let's be clear: in 80% of cases, the customer does not want to be annoying. He just doesn't realize what his words actually imply technical side.

And that’s normal!

A good developer is also a pedagogue, a translator of vague needs, and sometimes… a bit of a psychologist.

The right reflex: to fit without frustrating

Some magical tools to survive these demands:

  •  A clear brief, signed and validated.
  •  A feature list with priority levels.
  •  A good dose of humor (on Slack or in real life).
  •  And above all: realistic deadlines. Even Gandalf doesn't code an entire site in a weekend.

In summary:

Customer phrase → What it often means

  • “It’s just a landing page” → With animation, mega form, pop-up and tracking
  • “I want a clean design” → But still effects everywhere
  • “I want to be able to change everything myself” → Without ever breaking anything
  • “I want it to be fast” → Even if I send 4K videos from my iPhone
  • “I want it to look like me” → Without really knowing what I want

And now?

Are you a customer and have you said “simple” lately? Don't panic. We don't blame you.
But we can help you transform your great ideas in a concrete, achievable project… and well done.

Tell us about your “little project”.
We make sure that it is really simple. Or at least, well framed.