There are many features I like on my Toyota RAV4, but I have to confess the cup holders drive me to distraction. There are two positioned on the floor between the driver and passenger seat, directly below the entertainment console. The placement is fine, but it is their size that is the most noticeable feature. There is no other way to say it—they are simply huge. I am not sure even a Route 44 cherry limeade from Sonic would take up the entire space in one cup holder.

So why would otherwise insightful car designers render something that is supposed to be supremely practical into something almost completely useless?

The design principle at work here is similar to what we experience in designing Information Management (IM) systems. It is the classic Goldilocks problem: we want the system to address immediate business needs, but we don’t want to block off future, as-of-yet-unknown, requirements. In other words, we want it “just right”: So how do you strike a balance between immediate need and future potential?

A top-down way to approach this challenge is to distill an understanding of your company’s business strategy into your design. Does your business typically grow organically or through acquisition? How often does your company introduce new products or services into the market? Answering these and similar questions will provide you with a glimpse as to how flexible your design will need to be to account for changes in the business.

A second way is to envision how your IM program will evolve over the next five years. How much do you anticipate your scope changing during this time period? Will it grow to include additional document repositories, email management, knowledge management, enterprise search, or other disciplines? Creating a roadmap which addresses these questions allows you to anticipate when your design will need to be updated and how it will need to change.

I can’t guarantee thinking through these questions will make the porridge just right, the chair the right size, or the bed just the right softness. It should, however, help you more finely tune the usability of your IM system.

Now, if I could just figure out how to make sharp turns without spilling my coffee over all over my knees....