Spring 2017 Capstone is over! This has been a stressful, sometimes overwhelming, but ultimately rewarding experience. Here's my advice for future Capstone students.
No matter how much time you think you have ... you don't. Everyone is saying it, so let me join in the chorus: Time is your enemy, and what's more, it probably won't feel that way until you're down to the wire. Even if you think that you have just one smallish task to do before your next milestone, trust that it will take you longer to accomplish that task than you think. Either the client will require more review, your resource won't be as accessible as you thought, some emergency will pop up, or SOMETHING will happen that will leave you feeling panicked. Work as far ahead as possible.
If possible, schedule frequent and regular check-ins with the client. Communication with your client and within your team is essential during Capstone. We were lucky enough to have a client who was interested in checking in once per week. This kept us on task and made us certain we were heading in a direction the client would be happy with. If your client can't have weekly check-ins, consider having a team check-in to make sure work is progressing and everyone is on the same page.
Do the background work. The Big Picture, the positioning boxes, the dynamic variable, the attribute value map - even if it doesn't seem relevant to your project, or if the client is directing you toward a different model, do the stuff you learned in Marketing Strategy anyway. The client will love seeing a marketing model they may not have heard of before, and they'll love that you took the initiative to work beyond what they requested.
Do primary research. Our client said the thing they most appreciated about our project was the interviews. Your target is out there. You can find them.
Good luck!
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