I agree in the main with Rachel here, the web has evolved from a digital representation of a poster through basic dynamic sites and on to CMS powered sites and now more sites are web applications rather than sites.
I know of at least one local agency where the designers still use Illustrator to compose a comp for the web developers.
How does this convey the behaviour of the front end, let alone factor in any back end requirements. Answer, it can’t.
I started off developing in very corporate environments, using the waterfall methodolgy to detail all the required functionality etc. This is only viale in a large company and I’m not convinced it ever worked that well.
I think the agile methodolgy, when executed well, is a much beter way of working in this day and age. That doesn’t mean it is easy. Especially in an agency setting, but that has as much to do with the legacy of print and the past in general as anything else.
I know of a couple of ‘boutique’ agencies who are trying, successfully I believe, to change this. gofreerange and edendevelopment spring to mind.
It will take time, there will be commercial pressures that get in the way but hopefully, good clients will understand the benefit of working this way, not just looking fro a watertight contract to get out of paying if you go a day over ‘schedule’
Nice post and it has me thinking about design patterns and how designers and developers really need to work from a common understanding to produce a great product.