I work at a Navy research center. We don't try to be profitable but take DoD clients to cover costs, trying to break even yearly. The point there is we are mission or tax funded but work for customers.
The projects in my department take customer data, process/develop it in some way, and push it back out. Since we don't deal with the display at the end, there is a constant push for slides, demos, etc., from management to help sell it.
Hacked up demos by non-ui software engineers then became the product, and we have million dollar contracts coming for a mobile app and something that works in the browser.
The center's selling point is it's way cheaper than a private company or contractor, so subcontracting a UI designer isn't an option. I'm sure we'll have a working product, but it will probably be something like you describe. We shouldn't have taken it on, but when someone with money says, "I love it! How much?" it's hard to say no.
The projects in my department take customer data, process/develop it in some way, and push it back out. Since we don't deal with the display at the end, there is a constant push for slides, demos, etc., from management to help sell it.
Hacked up demos by non-ui software engineers then became the product, and we have million dollar contracts coming for a mobile app and something that works in the browser.
The center's selling point is it's way cheaper than a private company or contractor, so subcontracting a UI designer isn't an option. I'm sure we'll have a working product, but it will probably be something like you describe. We shouldn't have taken it on, but when someone with money says, "I love it! How much?" it's hard to say no.
This is not an uncommon situation.