Problem: Frozen is Frozen

This straightforward concept can get complicated in a redesign since folks "really want to get it right this time." Even people who understand the term frozen may employ the following: "But what about this one change? I just had a great idea that will make the whole site better."

Solution

From the very first meetings, let the client know that no design takes place during production. It's bad form, it creates problems, and it leads down a very slippery slope toward night-before-launch changes. Set the client's expectations about this, and reinforce them repeatedly. Again, no design changes take place in production, especially no interactivity or functionality changes.

Before you enter production, hold a Go/No-Go meeting. Any changes the client wants after this meeting mean that production will stop and a change will be made to the final delivery date and possibly the cost of the project - and potentially even the make-up of your developer team.

But this doesn't necessarily mean last-minute ideas won't be used. Talk instead about these great ideas in terms of future phases, change orders, or part of the recommendations you'll deliver at the end of the project.