Right get the UI right and it won't cause as many iterations on the back end (where it hurts more) as well prototype the whole UI in HTML/Javascript, Flash, Desktop app, whatever suits your fancy. Have a fully functioning UI that the user can touch and feel before you develop the back end. This will flesh out all data requirements and business logic services that will be needed to support the UI.
I am a little leery of not allowing the developer to provide input though. Things are going to change, you just want to narrow those changes to the important things.
I don't think you need a finely polished UI to start with, but some wireframes or even hand sketches of what each page/screen/dialog will look like can be a very effective communication tool. Written use cases are great but a picture can truly be worth 1000 words.
End users think in terms of screens, if you can provide them with a fully functioning ui then you can get valuable feedback about useability up front. The client knows in short order that they are getting all of the features they want because the get to touch and feel the system. After I adopted this method my project change orders slowed to a trickle.
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Right get the UI right and it won't cause as many iterations on the back end (where it hurts more) as well prototype the whole UI in HTML/Javascript, Flash, Desktop app, whatever suits your fancy. Have a fully functioning UI that the user can touch and feel before you develop the back end. This will flesh out all data requirements and business logic services that will be needed to support the UI.
I am a little leery of not allowing the developer to provide input though. Things are going to change, you just want to narrow those changes to the important things.
I don't think you need a finely polished UI to start with, but some wireframes or even hand sketches of what each page/screen/dialog will look like can be a very effective communication tool. Written use cases are great but a picture can truly be worth 1000 words.
End users think in terms of screens, if you can provide them with a fully functioning ui then you can get valuable feedback about useability up front. The client knows in short order that they are getting all of the features they want because the get to touch and feel the system. After I adopted this method my project change orders slowed to a trickle.