When the project team develops and delivers a solution, it is imperative to evaluate it against

• The requirements specification (verification)
• The ability to satisfy the real needs (validation)

It is particularly important to evaluate the solution itself, rather than focus on the project performance as measured by development cost and time. Some useful evaluation activities include

• Direct or indirect observation of user interaction with the product
• Measurement of the level of help and support required to use the product
• Monitoring of the incidence of no-fault found returns

User-focused evaluation will help build a picture of product use that has direct relevance to the future commercial success of the product. The insights gained into how customers ‘really’ use the product may also stimulate new business opportunities, identifying ‘needs’ that initiate further product development. The ‘waterfall’ model of the design process may be adapted to reflect this iteration and redrawn as a ‘spiral’ model.