Managing Web Projects, Continued

Project Kickoff

Let's say the boss has just dropped by to let you know about a major new web initiative. If you're a freelancer, maybe your Aunt Betty has just sent you a prospective client. Either way, a project -- unformed and a little nebulous -- has just made it onto your radar.

What's your next step? Creating sketches of the home page? Diving into the code? Before you jump in, you need to get the answers to some important questions:

• Who is the client?
• What is the scope of the project?
• What are the project's goals?
• Are there multiple phases?
• Who is the audience for the product?
• What is the desired timeframe?
• What resources will be necessary to complete the project?

The client
If you work for a web firm or are an independent contractor, you understand the term client. It's the person or people for whom web development work is undertaken. In-house development staff might think of this role as a product manager, or just "the boss." In any case, when a new project hits your desk, it's important to know who's behind it.

Maybe it seems obvious. The client is the person on the other end of the phone saying, "I want it yesterday," right? Occasionally, yes. But find out if that person is really calling the shots on the project. Are they authorized to make decisions related to the project, and can they grant approval? Find out who the project contact will be and, most importantly, who needs to sign off on the finished product.

Project scope and goals
With the exception of R&D labs and personal home pages, most developers build sites for a client. And before you can start to build a web product for a client, you have to know what they're looking for, what business need they're trying to fill, what goal they hope to reach in what timeframe. You need to know the scope of the project.

Defining the project scope is not a difficult process, assuming the client has an idea of what they want (it can be very difficult if they don't). Sit down with the client and have them describe in as much detail as possible what they're looking for -- specific goals, business model, look and feel, features and functions. Identify separate phases of development, if any. Then put the scope on paper and don't do another thing until the client has reviewed and approved it.

With the scope outlined and approved at the outset, any change in scope during the course of the project will be apparent, and the project timeframe and cost can be renegotiated if necessary.

Project assessment
Another important part of the project-definition stage is to assess whether you have the resources you need to meet the project goals within the client's timeframe. It's much wiser in the long term to decline or delay a project if the resources aren't available, rather than risk sanity and reputation by pushing it through against all odds.

At the end of the project-definition stage, you should have a much better idea of the work that will be involved. Now you can move on to building your team.

view a printable version of this article