Managing Web Development Projects

Facilitated by David Taylor, Radical Designs

The Radical Designs team has deployed hundreds of interactive campaign web sites supporting a broad range of campaigns and mobilizations. David will describe the RD process for managing web application development, share lessons learned, and discuss how his thinking has evolved based on both his own experience and the changing technology landscape.

Wiki notes Web design project management

Agile development process – architect for what you know today, do the simplest thing that will work, refactoring in an interation by iteration basis. Break your project down into small chunks. After every iteration you have a releasable piece of code. Embraces change, change of scope. Communication level high. Waterfall development – everything done and then shown to the client. Costing – how do you manage feature creep when you advocate for change using Agile. Do contract based on “this many hours” as opposed to this particular feature set. Work on iterations helps build trust.

Optional Scope (pause to plug in laptop)

Use Agile for custom software development

Regular cms deployments not done with Agile.

How do you project manage and develop the same project. “Be your own utility guy” is one approach. Another suggestion was to not do both on the same project. Set aside mental time for development. Turn off IM and email and then just code. For project management, leave everything on again.

Where are the best resources to learn about how to manage a project? Pick a process first (Waterfall, Agile, etc.)

Use cases need to be done, workflow, outcomes, going to run into trouble.

User experience and design – how do you quote design. (outsource) Tips include do not do in 15 min. increments, choose blocks of time and let everyone know.

Pairing – two people working on code simultaneously. One drives, one codes, - enforces best practices and encourages efficiency.

Remote pairing – screen + skype.

Have all interaces designed and approved before code is written