[Sigia-l] [OT?] Client/Consultant Relationships in 2004

[Listera]

Katie Ware:

> How have Internet strategy/creative (vs. technical) consultant/client
> relationships changed over time?

The good news is that there's now more widespread recognition of the utility
of IA.

The bad news, at least for large projects over the last 2-3 years, is
outsourcing. It changes everything: project rates/lengths/scopes, power
relationships, quality expectations, etc.

Backend programming, production, implementation and integration is getting
commoditized and offshored thoroughly. This has also attenuated frontend
production rates and expectations adversely.

If clients are getting comfortable paying IAs $30-$40/hr, for example, that
has two huge consequences. IA won't be regarded as an attractive profession
and clients are not going to ask people so low on the totem pole to make any
significant decisions about app design/dev. This creates further negative
feedback, reducing the effectiveness of IAs in the aggregate.

Ziya
Nullius in Verba