Key 2 - Description: Michigan Agile Philosophy (MAP) Project Key

2.  Description

Again, maybe not the most thrilling topic, but one that provides value. 

Imagine you are the CEO of a millinery.  Don’t worry, I had to look it up too.  A millinery is a place that designs, makes, trims, or sells hats.  You have lots of designs (ascots, akubras, beanies, berets, fezes (fezi?)), internal projects to set up a POS system  (...no it stands for Point of Sale!), a website that takes orders, a site that allows people to choose the kind of hat that will be best for them, and much more.  In this case, a project name may not be sufficient to inform the CEO of the goings on in the company.  An additional, robust description would be helpful.  

A good way to start is to borrow from the “Elevator Pitch” slide from the Inception Deck.  We’ll talk more about the Inception Deck throughout the next 16 weeks, but simply it’s an easy way of defining important parts of a project such as scope.  The “Elevator Pitch” slide goes like this:

For [target customer]
who [statement of need or opportunity]
the [product name]
is a [product category]
that [key benefit, compelling reason to buy].
Unlike [primary competitive alternative]
our project [statement of primary differentiation].

You simply have to fill in what is in the [ ].  After you have given the overview, it’s not a bad idea to give a few more details. 

Pillaging again from Ebay:

Writing an informative description

• The description is your opportunity to provide buyers with more information about the item. Be sure to use complete sentences and correct spelling and grammar.
• Organize information in paragraphs with similar information grouped together.
• Start with the most important details that buyers need first, such as additional details about your item.
• Include specific information like size, shape, color, age, manufacture date, company/artist/author, and notable features or markings.
• Clearly state the item's condition, such as new, used, or still under warranty. Be sure to mention any flaws or repairs.
• Be clear about what's included and the type of packaging.
• Make the description as readable as possible.
• In a separate short paragraph, consider including a story about the item, or why the item is appealing. Many sellers have found that adding a creative, human approach to their descriptions boosts bids and sales.