With the majority of projects either web design or development, there is often an element of time uncertainty: designers promise to deliver work quickly, then they announce some unrealistic deadlines and include unclear activities. In this article I will be covering client role and input on project speed and why hard deadlines could be damaging.
Project Team
With digital projects, the team may consist of project manager, analytics, designers and developers and sometimes just by one multidisciplinary designer. Frequently the client is not counted as part of the team and this is wrong. You as a client are an integral part and an important part of the project:
- You are the keeper and source of information about the project. Without key information, the project should not be initiated: the purpose of the project; insides on how the business operates; important information on your customers; existing client’s feedback.
- You are the ultimate decision maker. I can offer, explain benefits, or even insist on something. However, the last decision is after
danilab .eu client. - You are the content supplier, even if the copy, images are generated by danilab.eu , client stays as source of content. As an example, I will require list of products, company mission description and any necessary information to keep momentum moving smoothly.
Client – team member
You as my client is a full member of the team, this means that we have a common interest in delivering a successful digital product that solves your business problems. However, this also means that with your actions and decisions you will affect the efficiency of the project development.
Approaches
danilab.eu responsibility in the early stages of digital project management is to establish roles and agree on the overall approach. My approach varies and depends on the complexity of the project as a whole, project phases. Usually, a digital project has multiple phases: analytics, strategy, user experience, design and communication.
For example, I have a few working approaches: short-term and in-depth digital projects.
Let’s review short term projects a bit more in-depth below and see how
Short-term projects
This approach is suitable for brand and promo sites with minimal individual functionality. On these websites you can get familiarised with the company and leave a request, you can not pick products, make purchases, track transactions.
The output of such a project can be defined almost immediately. The stages of analytics and development take approximately equal time. During analytics stage I will be performing market assessment: looking at competitors, seeing what they are doing and understanding what your clients need. In this type of projects, the main focus is on design and content.
Example – ubspmu .com
Brand development for ubspmu, including identity development, website design/build and collateral material took just a bit longer than one month.
Due to the fact that the client mentioned about all of the service specifics, I was able to map the website quickly and focus on user experience. While I was focusing on website design client was working in sync and creating content, referencing to supplied wireframes.
Example – iluexpert .com
On the other hand, a similar scale branding project iluexpert.com from design approval to site deployment took over three months. I was waiting for the appropriate images and content. Unfortunately, this then led to design changes and caused release delay.
How can you improve overall processes and get project done quicker
- Share information. Share as much as possible information about your business and customers, provide a list of services or products.
- Your site is your content. Prepare in advance photos and text to fill the site. If the content is delivered by a copywriter, make sure to connect us, we will collaborate to deliver it the right way. Give access for photo and video.
- Agree on timing and phases. Together we will shape the brief, prototypes, design concept, page layouts and the final product itself. Make sure to get involved and provide feedback where necessary.
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