Blog Assignment: Analyzing Scope Creep
Getting back the
Houston Art Car Parade project that I discussed in my earlier blog. The Art Car
parade is a parade which displays the creativity of local artist on cars and
vehicles in Houston.
Project: Art Car Float entry
Scope: Design and create an Art Car that will be entered in the Art Car
Parade
Timeline: about 2 thousand dollars
Client: My High Schools Art Department
There was a great deal
of bickering and infighting about the concept of the “Art” for the car. The
design was simple enough, and limited sufficiently that there shouldn’t have
been troublesome issues. Simply the art car called for an artistic paint job,
along with ornamentation that would enhance the look and feel of a car that maintained
a quirky art-like appearance. This was simple enough in theory. However, when
team member with different artistic concepts began voicing their ideas and
opinions they wanted the car's appearance to include more vibrant and
utilitarian accessories. This would be outside the scope of the cars paint
scheme and art ornamentation. Another member who fancied himself an electrical
guru wanted to use the car's battery power to make tail that wagged like a dragon or a fish.
Remember, this was a high school assignment, so the maturity of knowledge of
project management wasn’t at a professional level. In any case it was still a
project type, and with the difference in opinions, there was bound to be things
that were outside of the scope.
