Planning a Web Development Project - gotomedia

1 Planning a Web Development ProjectPresented by: Kelly 957-7701 session E T T I N G T H E S TA G ECool cover illustration by Eunice Moyle 1999 gotomedia , All Rights Reserved S E S S I O N O U T L I N Project : You Start: The Client Proposal:The Development :Time and Budget: Estimating by Budget: Estimating by Brief:Defining Analysis:Informal & Worksheets:Blank Forms to Proposal:Detailed Format: Informal Format: Detailed and Follow-Up1 1999 gotomedia , All Rights ReservedSetting the Stage: Determining Scope You have a potential Project that has just dropped into your lap.

2 The client (or your boss) asks you the deadly question: How much time is this goingto take, and how much is it going to cost? What is the first step you takein identifying the actual costs and timing associated with the Project ? Howmuch information do you need up front in order to generate a realistic pro-posal? What other elements do you need to incorporate into the proposalto ensure you can say yes to the Project without getting into over yourhead? This handout has been developed to help you make the right deci-sions and organize your existing information in a comprehensive mannerallowing you to properly identify scope, budget and timing to set thestage before beginning an actual Web Project .

3 How Much is Enough?How much time do you put in before you actually are awarded the Project ?What additional components have you budgeted and scheduled for, includ-ing competitive analysis and usability testing? The answer is directly relatedto time and money. You have been given a task. What does your expertiseand time allow in order for it to be successful? By taking preliminary actionto properly define the Project and set up proper expectations with theclient, you will save yourself time and trouble in the end. The more experi-ence you have in creating sites, the more predicting and troubleshootingyou can do to save yourself unnecessary expense.

4 The problem is, we don toften take the time to properly define the scope of a Project . You can usethe time now, or later. It is up to H E P R O J E C T: I n t ro d u c t i o n1 . 0 SETTING THE STA G EBefore actually starting a Website,there are several stepswhich can be taken to ensurethe success of your session,we will cover thekey elements in determiningsize,scope,budget and sched-uling for your willalso cover additional itemssuch as conducting an informalcompetitive analysis,and writ-ing a creative are an independentdesigner wearing multiplehats,or an internal Webmasteroverseeing a team of people,many of the processes outlinedhere can be implemented intoyour existing IN THIS S E S S I O NItems which will be covered inthis handout are as follows.

5 THE PROJECTTHE CLIENTT HE PROPOSALE S T I M AT I N GC R E ATIVE BR IEFCOMPETIT IVE ANALY S I SF O R M S2 1999 gotomedia , All Rights ReservedB E F O R E Y O U S TA RT: T h e C l i e n t 1 . 0 Send the Client QuestionnaireAt the earliest opportunity, send the potential client your customized ques-tionnaire (see workflow handouts in earlier session) to gather informa-tion and estimate the scope and details of the Project . The individuals orcompanies who take the time to answer the questions in detail score high-er/on the good client bad client scale. The client questionnaire andanswers generated in this process are an important step in understandingthe overall scope and direction the client wishes to take.

6 Screening Your Project and ClientAvoiding a bad situation is much easier if you do the legwork up front tomake sure you are making good choices with the projects you take the scope and goals of the Project will enable you to make agood decision and see if a Project is a fit for you and/or your team. One ofthe most important factors to consider with a new Project is the person youwill be working with to supply you direction, information, content andapprovals. This can be an internal or external client. It is best to have onecontact who is responsible for final sign-off and approval. This will helpeliminate confusion and communication breakdown.

7 CLIENT QUESTIONNAIREUse the questionnaire suppliedin the handout for WebDesign Workflow to send toyour client prior to starting the questions to fitthe specific needs of the pro-ject you are working are organized intokey categories,including:MESSAGEPERCEPTIONAC TIONTECHNOLOGYMARKETINGADMINISTRATIVEYou will get initial thoughtsand feedback from the clientregarding style and tone,com-petitive sites and GOO D CLIENTW orking with an understand-ing and responsive client helpsto make the developmentprocess a positive expectations and anunderstanding of the process isa good client under-stands the overall picture andworks with you as a teamplayer to make the Web site BAD CLIENTThe bad client is something towatch out only willyou put in unnecessary hoursdue to disorganization andlack of content,but you maynot get paid either.

8 Workingwith someone for the first timeis always a challenge,butthere are things to watch outfor which might help you stayaway from projects that arepotential E F O R E Y O U S TA RT: T h e C l i e n t2 . 0 1999 gotomedia , All Rights Reserved3 GOOD CLIENTA good client has some of the fol-lowing attributes:oIs goal oriented:focused on the big pictureoAnswers questionnaire in clearand detailed manneroSupplies an RFP,or clear outline of goals and scopeoUnderstands the Web environment and the Development processoGives final sign-off and approval oIs in agreement on deliverables,schedule and budgetoIs responsive to email andphone calls oHas a team approach oGets you content on time oIs part of the solution instead of the problemRED FLAG CLIENTNot necessarily a nightmare client,but some things to watch out for.

9 OA get it up quick attitude,unre-alistic schedule requestsoDoesn t know what the content should be,but wants it to look cool oAsks to create a demo site, thereal one will come later oHe/she cannot give finalapproval or is not putting you intouch with the decision makersoDoesn t have time to fill out thequestionnaireoSmall budget,swift deadlineoNon-responsive,cannot makedecisions,does not email or callback in a timely manneroIndecisive,changes mind frequentlyoWants to handle the creative to save money 1999 gotomedia , All Rights ReservedITEMS CONTAINED IN A STANDARD PROPOSALI ntroduction Letter/Note: A letter or an informal note separate from the proposal is a good way to set a friendly, informal tone and also to set up theexpectations for the written material.

10 This introduction is a chance to address theindividual directly relay excitement and interest in the Project . Restate the Client s Needs: The first thing to address is a restatement of theproject, as defined by the client (through email or conversation or RFP) and reinterpreted in your own words. This is necessary to ensure proper communica-tion has taken place, and that the Project has been properly Overview: This is the executive summary. Address the overall scope ofthe Project . Include information about tasks to be performed (information archi-tecture, interface design, competitive research, etc.) This is a general statementoutlining the basic deliverables and goals of the Project , as well as any :Addressing the schedule from a broad time frame andaddressing the week-to-week methodology within that time frame allows you toaddress both timing and process at the same time.