Cantilever is a web design and development agency that’s been operating for over 13 years. Over that time, our project management framework has evolved many times and ways to try to improve both client outcomes and employee happiness. While we currently don’t tightly align with any specific framework like Scrum or Agile, one practice that we’ve borrowed from Scrum that’s significantly advanced both of those metrics has been the Definition of Done.
Cantilever is an all-remote team. We foster a work-life balance where as long as the work is delivered to spec and on time, we let our employees manage their own schedules. We’re also spread across the world, with many different time-zones. As a result, our challenge is to ensure the work is done effectively, even when it’s done asynchronously.
To address this, the tasks in our weekly slate of work need to be very clear in terms of the ask. Once someone picks up the task, it could be a full day before the PM comes back to check in on progress, and if the task wasn’t written well the first time, that whole day could be lost due to the miscommunication.
Definition of Done
We have smart, motivated designers and developers who know their craft, so we’ve found the most important aspect of the task is a clear Definition of Done.
A Definition of Done (DoD), also known as “Acceptance Criteria” is a well-established practice in Scrum and Agile methodologies. At Cantilever, it’s a list of criteria on every task that tells the person doing the work when the task is considered complete.
Last Thing’s First
When writing a task, we effectively work backwards. We start with what the end state should look like - “What does the site look like when I’m done?”
A well-written DoD can and should include any details that determine success:
- What should it look like?
- What should it do?
- Where should it be? Should it be on Staging? Production? In Figma? In a certain database?
- Are the any specific workflow requirements that differ from our standard procedures?
For instance, we implemented a map on a client’s site recently to provide a navigation pathway to find an office that better communicated geographic regionality.
The Definition of Done on this task looks like this:
- The Atlist map is embedded above the "Browse Offices" section on the “Offices and Members” page on the staging environment, per the Figma design.
- The search bar and other filters are relocated per the design and retain full functionality.
- Clicking on any office marker on the Atlist map redirects to the relevant office page.
The result of a DoD like this is that whoever picks up the task has a clear view of what the end result should be. With that firmly in hand, they can then review the rest of the task to learn the other details.
Of course, the DoD isn’t the only information presented in the task. PMs and senior staff often provide links, loom videos, and technical guidance to give the best start we can to a task, but without a clear Definition of Done, tasks aren’t allowed to be added to the week’s work - we find it that important.
The result has been a win-win for all involved. From a PM’s perspective, tasks with a clear DoD are significantly more likely to be completed on time and on budget. From a staff perspective, there’s less waiting for clarification, less confusion over deliverables, and a much better chance for a happy client.