How We Run Successful Web Projects

Listen to some horror stories and how Paper Leaf, a boutique design agency, learned from them in order to run successful web projects.

Transcript

1. HOW WE RUN SUCCESSFUL WEB PROJECTS @jeff_archibald
2. WEB PM PRO-TIPS @jeff_archibald
3. COMMUNICATING YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS: WEB PROJECTS MADE EASY @jeff_archibald
4. HOW TO MANAGE WEB PROJECTS SO YOU DON’T FAIL TERRIBLY AND MAKE YOUR CLIENTS HATE YOU SO MUCH THEY CREATE ONE OF THOSE LITTLE DOLLS IN YOUR LIKENESS THAT THEY THEN BURN IN EFFIGY @jeff_archibald
5. THE PROBLEM e more complicated and larger web projects and project teams become, the more difficult and risky they become to manage.
6. MY GOAL Tell you how we manage projects, alongside some horror stories and what we learned from them, to provide some learnings and best practices to take away and use on your projects.
7. WHAT WE’LL COVER 1. Project Scoping (very quickly) 2. Internal Communication 3. Client Communication 4. Staying on Budget 5. Launch & Post-Launch
8. WHAT WE WON’T COVER 1. e details of our project process (it’s not that interesting or unique) 2. Tools
9. TOOLS ARE NOT MAKE OR BREAK
10. COMMUNICATION ASSUMPTIONS REQUIREMENTS EXPECTATIONS
11. C.A.R.E.
12. 1. PROJECT SCOPING
13. THE PLAGUE OF THE POOR SCOPE
14. WHAT DOES THE CLIENT ACTUALLY NEED?
15. WHAT ASSUMPTIONS ARE YOU MAKING?
16. GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON YOUR TEAM INVOLVED.
17. communicating your way to success: web projects made easy communicating your way to success: web projects made easy
18. THE MAGIC OF CONTINGENCIES
19. 2. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
20. THE ATTACK OF SHITTY INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
21. KICKOFF MEETING
22. INTERNAL HANDOFF
23. WEEKLIES & DAILY STAND-UPS
24. 3. CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS
25. THE CLIENT IS AN ACTUAL PERSON
26. 5 SIMPLE COMMUNICATION RULES
27. 5 SIMPLE COMMUNICATION RULES 1. Who is responsible? 2. When is it required? 3. How should it be delivered? 4. Why do you need it? 5. What happens next?
28. “WE NEED THE COPYWRITING SOON.”
29. “Our designers need all site copy from [copywriter name] by Thursday, June 2 to keep the project on schedule. Please use the attached template, fill it out, and send it back to us by that date. It doesn’t need to be perfect – dra one is fine – as you’ll be able to edit the content on the live site whenever you want, thanks to the CMS.”
30. WEEKLY EMAIL 1. What we got done last week 2. What we’re doing this week 3. Potential Concerns
31. PICK UP THE GD PHONE
32. MANAGING CLIENT FEEDBACK
33. 4. STAYING ON BUDGET
34. THE WRATH OF $45,000 LOST REVENUES
35. MANAGING YOUR TEAM & THE BUILD
36. MANAGING CLIENT & SCOPE CREEP
37. MANAGING CLIENT & SCOPE CREEP 1. Swap features 2. Add it to a list of post-launch feature requests 3. Quote it, get it approved, add it to project budget & schedule
38. 5. LAUNCH & POST- LAUNCH
39. DON’T EVER LAUNCH ON FRIDAYS.
40. TELL THE CLIENT WHAT TO EXPECT.
41. TELL YOUR CLIENT WHEN IT’S DONE, AND THAT IT WENT WELL.
42. CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES C’MON
43. POST-LAUNCH
44. 6. SUMMARY
45. MANAGING PROJECTS IS HARD.
46. PROPER PROJECT SCOPING IS THE FOUNDATION OF A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT.
47. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS CLIENT- FACING COMMUNICATION
48. CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS IS LIKE PLAYING THE BASS: EASY TO START, AND DIFFICULT TO MASTER.
49. STAYING ON BUDGET DEPENDS ON COMMUNICATING ASSUMPTIONS, REQUIREMENTS, AND EXPECTATIONS EARLY ON.
50. STAYING ON BUDGET DEPENDS ON COMMUNICATING ASSUMPTIONS, REQUIREMENTS, AND EXPECTATIONS EARLY ON. EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME
51. STAYING ON BUDGET ALSO INVOLVES MANAGING YOUR TEAM, PACE, THE SOLUTION, AND CLIENT SCOPE CREEP.
52. LAUNCH IS SCARY AND EXCITING. IT SHOULD BE CELEBRATED, BUT IT’S ALSO NOT THE END.
53. THANKS @jeff_archibald