Project Management

Transcript

1. PROJECT MANAGEMENT Simon Collison Business of Web Design Online Conference

   17th August 2010 http://www.slideshare.net/collylogic/presentations

2. Everybody does it differently. This is my way.

3. Choosing projects

4. • Instinct and warning signs • Timescales and phases •

   Budgets • Payment structures • Analysing anomalies • Third parties • Willingness to take bold steps • Flexibility • Personalities and experience

5. Contracts and finances

6. • Issuing contracts • Payment staging • Insurance • Variation

   notices • Adjusting budgets

7. Client documents

8. None

9. • The original RFP, project sheet or brief • Sitemaps,

   wireframes, mind maps • Spreadsheets and flowcharts • Pre-prepared content • Brand guidelines • Images, downloads and other assets

10. Specification document

11. Timescales and deadlines

12. • Dictating the schedule • Adding contingency • Ability to

    move milestones • Resources across all projects

13. Meetings and communication

14. • In person • Set-up meetings and workshops • Skype

    and telephone • Email • Basecamp and other apps

15. http://basecamphq.com/

16. http://erskinelabs.com/post/project-management-is-easy/

17. http://erskinelabs.com/post/project-management-is-easy/

18. http://erskinelabs.com/post/project-management-is-easy/

19. Goal-directed design

20. • Immovable constants • Project backbone • Engaging with the

    client

21. Collaboration

22. • The creative team • The creative team & the

    client • The creative team, the client & the audience

23. Audience

24. • Accountability • User cases • Audience grouping • Audience

    hierarchies • Tools and techniques

25. Environment Experience Others Me Instruction Interaction

26. Understanding Control Outcome

27. None

28. http://www.logovisual.com

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32. Features versus Requirements

33. Methodology

34. • Waterfall • Agile • Sprint • Freestylin’

35. Waterfall Research, process, build, test, launch, pub.

36. Agile Research, process, build, test, launch, pub. Learn, repeat, relaunch,

    pub. Learn, repeat, relaunch...

37. Sprint Pub, build, test, launch, pub. Nervous breakdown.

38. Roadmap

39. Content

40. • Content audit • Content strategy • Client guidance •

    Rules and suggestions

41. Web writing is... Good writing adapted to the limits of

    the web as a medium and the needs of users.

42. Reflected and Projected Light Reading on paper, we see light

    reflected off paper Computers do not reflect light, they project it. Thus light is shooting into our eyes, rather than gently reflecting. As a result, we are not reading in the way we learned... ... we get tired faster.

43. Other limits... People read about 25% slower on screen. Attention

    span. It is said that users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% ismore likely. Scanning. Higher-literacy users are much more likely to scan text on websites than read it in detail. Findability. Numerous alternative sources of information

44. User needs... Trust in the the website and information source.

    Brevity and swift delivery of information Retrieval of key facts and information very quickly. Understanding the context of the page and website. Looking for calls to action or next steps. Email, print or respond to information immediately.

45. How a visitor decides... 1. Scan the headlines to see

    what the content is about. 2. Look at the pictures to see what the content is about. 3. If the pictures are compelling, read the captions. 4. If the headlines, pictures, and captions are compelling, read the rest of the copy—if they have time.

46. Trust and credibility... Domain name, branding and design. Links -

    verification through inbound and outbound links. Sources - evidence of findings. Volume - the more you write... Voice - what are you writing about, and who is it for? Duration - match length to intended audience and subject. Credits - about the author and their experience.

47. Voice... Your character and nuances of you personality show up

    in... • the words you choose • the grammatical choices you make • the phrasing you choose Ensure your style matches your subject matter. The best writers manage to express their voice or personality across whatever writing style they engage in.

48. Techniques... Relevance, Titles and Headings Blurbs Pull quotes Icons, drop-caps

    and images Descriptions Linkage and Sources Lists Summarise

49. Body copy... • Does the copy get to the point

    quickly? • Is the copy shy about the subject? • Is it easy to respond to? • Does the copy overcome every objection to replying, leaving the reader with no choice but to act? • Does the copy use simple words? • Does the copy use active language (does it address the site visitor as ‘you’)? • Is the copy broken down into simple sections and bullet points?

50. True? • Website content is internally rather than publicly focused?

    • Much of it is copy/pasted from paper and press releases? • Too many buzzwords, too much jargon and multi-syllable phrasing? • Too little exploitation of the publishing tools available? • Not enough organisational pride in publishing the website? • No shared voice, tone or approach? • Not enough proofreading or drafting?

51. Cause Related Marketing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons ) Child Labour Clean Development

    Mechanism Climate Change CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Community Corporate Citizenship Corporate Governance Corporate Responsibility (CR) Corporate Responsibility Index Corporate Social Responsibility Digital Divide (digital inclusion) Diversity Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) Globalisation Green electricity Human Rights Impact areas Marketplace Millennium Development Goals NGO Not-for-profit Off-Set Agreement Philanthropy Recycle Renewable Energy Reputation Assurance Responsible business Shareholder Influence Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000) Social Audit Social capital Social Enterprise Social Exclusion Social Firm Social Inclusion Social Investment BITC, CR, CSR, 8000, NGO, SRI, SORI, EHS, EMAS, DJSI, APPG, AA1000 etc Triple bottom line Venture Philanthropy Global compact Equator principles Etc...

52. The Business Action on Economic Renewal Leadership Team guides Business

    in the Community's work on regeneration and economic renewal.

53. What should boards do to ensure companies behave responsibly, and

    why? Both corporate responsibility and corporate governance have climbed the corporate agenda in recent years. But there has been little consideration of how these two areas interrelate or about the specific board contribution to corporate responsibility. Both the Combined Code on Corporate Governance and the new Company Law Reform Bill give directors duties related to corporate responsibility. This report outlines the challenge boards face in fulfilling them, and the actions they can take in order to do so.

54. Narrative

55. • A single design direction • In tandem with Basecamp

    • Signals not noise • Demonstrating a clear direction • Dedicated staging area
56. None

57. Creativity

58. • Fast, confident design and build sessions • Organic collaborative

    process • Scrapbooking, moodboards and other tools • Physical project space
59. None

60. Conventions

61. • Quality control • Team conventions • Benefits of convention

    • A reusable package

62. A base layer of rules and conventions that act as

    starting points for HTML, CSS, JavaScript and CMS for all projects.

63. • Basic HTML files & naming conventions • PHP for

    basic templates prior to CMS integration. • CSS: Stylesheets, IE-specific, reset, scratch files etc. • JavaScript: jQuery, onload triggers, transparency support • Other Assets such as folders for images, Flash etc.

64. A bumper compendium of cascading CSS files, naming conventions, modules,

    plugins and scripts that ensure any project will stay on convention, and be simple for anyone to step into and work with at any time.

65. • Allows better collaboration within the team; the designer can

    jump into the developer’s code and vice-versa. • Anyone who hasn’t even worked on a certain project can jump in and quickly solve problems because everything is on convention. • Keeps output fresh and ensures use of best practices. • Establishes a thoroughly connected layer of base files allowing for swift CSS and JavaScript implementation and other assets. • Makes life easier for developers and designers... and anyone really • Helps maintain quality control
66. None

67. • Naming conventions • HTML & XHTML • HTML5 ?

    • JavaScript • jQuery & Libraries • PHP • Templating • Wireframing • IE6, IE7 & IE8 • Reset browser defaults • CSS Frameworks • Scratch files • Mobile & Handheld • Print stylesheets • PNG support • Flash and SWF • Image folders • Content Management

68. Communicating your design

69. • Sketching • Prototyping • Designing in the browser •

    Explanations and context
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79. Feedback

80. • The working prototype • Soft-launch • Gauging user feedback

    • Private testing • Iterating the prototype
81. None

82. Sign-off

83. • Establishing sign-off points • Personal discussion • Tools and

    apps • Training and documentation • Testing

84. http://getsignoff.com/

85. Launch

86. • Preparing all parties • Checklists and procedures • Something

    isn’t right • When to delay • Your commitments

87. Post-launch

88. • Bug fixing, feature requests and support • Evaluation •

    Documentation and promotion • Subsequent phases • Costed phases, quick features, retainers • Keeping the relationship sweet

89. Thanks Simon Collison http://colly.com @simoncollison http://slideshare.net/collylogic