Project Management building success
Web design project management is more than just the coordination of all the different parties involved in designing and building a website. It’s the process that defines and shapes the website’s very purpose and objectives from the outset, ensuring that a solid, coherent blueprint is in place from which all parties can work. The web design project manager acts as the client’s project partner, consulting on all aspects of the project and adding value drawn from practical experience in all of the key areas of the website design and development process. If building a website was to be compared to building a house, then the website design project manager would be the architect.
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Web design project management – six steps to building a successful website:
1. The drawing board
The website design project management process kicks off with thorough planning and research into the client and their market. As part of this provisional planning phase, the project manager will arrange a meeting attended by himself, the client, a web designer and a web developer, with the purpose of familiarising the team with the client’s business, their market, and the objectives they want their website to achieve. During the meeting the team will propose ideas drawn from their experience of building websites which they feel are compatible with the client’s aims, as well as give practical advice on the expectations the client has for the site. Once the fundamental parameters have been agreed, all parties will go away and the web design project manager will set about drawing up a detailed proposal for approval by the client.
2. Planning permission
The web design project manager submits the proposal to the client for approval, together with a quotation and a provisional project timeline. What typically follows is a period of dialogue, during which the parties discuss refinements to specific aspects of the website design and work towards agreeing on a formal plan of action to take the project forward. Once agreed, this functional specification constitutes the blueprint that dictates the entire web design project management process from then on.
3. Laying foundations
First onto the site are the web designers, who put together a collection of design treatments for the client’s approval. Once a particular design is settled on it will form the basis of the website’s look and navigational structure. Some clients require the look of their website to conform to strict brand guidelines or a defined corporate identity, whereas others are happy to give the web designers free reign on the aesthetics of the site - either way, this critical stage of the website design project management process will set the tone for the entire website, making it essential that any design-related concerns, such as navigational hierarchy, usability complications and layout issues, are ironed out before being rolled out across the site at large. The web design project manager will act as a link between the client and the web designers during this process, with the aim of achieving a design base that supports the usability, practicality and brand/corporate identity principles and from upon which the whole website structure can grow.
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4. Building the superstructure
After the fundamental website design principles have been signed off by the client, the designers build out the rest of the website structure in accordance with the blueprint. Each page adheres to the design masterplan, with consistent navigational and layout principles carried all the way through. The web design project management process facilitates liaison throughout the web design stage, ensuring the client’s feedback is taken onboard and that any changes or evolutions of certain aspects are adopted in the ever-developing design. If such changes have an impact on timeframes, the project management procedure accommodates the effect on workload and ensures communication with the client, so as to manage their expectations accordingly.
5. Installing the infrastructure
Upon completion of the superstructure, the web design project management process moves onto implementing and managing the functionality of the new site – the web development stage. The web developers set about installing the hidden processes that make all the different functional aspects of the website work. Features such as search boxes, data capture fields and security protocols may be built in as standard, whereas enhanced functions like e commerce mechanisms, back office content management consoles and other bespoke applications are added according to the client’s unique functional specification. All bespoke devices are optional extras to the basic features of a website, and as such are often added at extra cost, in the same way that enhancements such as under-floor heating, air conditioning and triple glazing are optional extras when building a house. The web design project management procedure also provides for a rolling testing regime during this infrastructure fit-out stage, whereby the client and other appointed testers have access to latest versions of the website design, so encouraging critical feedback.
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6. Handover and move in
After all testing has been completed and the client is happy with the look and feel of the site, the web design project management team hands the website over and makes it live. In the period following delivery, the client may wish to consult with or direct queries to the designers or developers, so the project management structure remains in place post-handover to ensure the client’s demands are tended to in a timely and efficient manner.
The WebMarketing Group web design project management procedure:
- A skilled and experienced web professional manages the process
- All team members are accountable and understand their roles and timeframes
- Client’s expectations are managed in respect to changes to design/functionality
- Various elements of the process are synchronized effectively
- Deadlines are met
Professional web design project management is the key to online success
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