Table of Contents

Preface.


1. The Project.
Key Differences among Web, Advertising, and Software Project Management.What Skills Do You Need?Define Your Project.Write a Project Mission Statement.Identify Objectives.Identify Your Targeted Users.Determine the Scope.The Budget.Budget Categories.Assumptions for Budgeting.Hidden Costs.Tools.References.More Preliminary Planning Issues.Summary.Interview: Getting Your Arms around the Project.Stefan Fielding-Isaacs.

2. The Team.
The New Web Team.Evolution of the Web Team.Roles and Responsibilities.Putting Together the Right Team.Identifying Necessary Skills.Assessing Skills.Building a Team.Managing the Team.Multiple Projects.Cross-Functional Teams.Team Dynamics: The Unique Issues.Virtual Management.Working with the Client's Resources.Outsourcing or Working with Vendors.Sorting Apples and Oranges.Summary.Interview: Bringing in the Special Teams.Steve Kirsch and Paul Smith.

3. Planning and Process Development.
Early Planning.Getting to Know Your Audience.Defining Development Stages and Strategies.Identifying the Development Phases.Writing the Creative Brief.Brainstorming.Creating the Review Site.Creative and Content Planning.Creating the Concept.Usability Studies.Site Architecture and Schematics.Software Programs.Technical Planning.Identifying Technical Infrastructure.Defining Technical Development Requirements.Feasibility and Software Testing.Planning for Maintenance and Growth.Technical Specifications.Production Planning.Understanding End-User Requirements.Production Guide.Production Infrastructure.Planning for Change.Reiteration.Effective Meetings and Reviews.Summary.Interview: Managing Change in the Web Development Environment.Kenneth Norton.

4. Communication Issues.
Communication Breakdown: Why?Common Causes.Creating Effective Communication Systems.Evaluate the Way Your Team Communicates.Do You Need a Translator?Tools, Standards, and Methods.Leading Effective Meetings.Summary.Interview: Developing Standards of Communication for Web Teams.Indi Young and Pete Howells.

5. The Client.
Definition of the Client.Differences between Internal and External Clients.The Client Education Process.Your Client's Point of View.Communicating Your Process to Your Client.Getting “Buy-In.”Explaining Technical Issues to Clients.Building Communication into the Budget.Communication throughout the Project.Legal Communications.Project Communications.Giving the Project Back.When to Hand the Project Back.Success Metrics.Handling Maintenance Requests.Summary.Interview: Effective Client Management.Louis Malafarina.

6. Multidepartmental and Large-Scale Sites.
Up-Front Challenges.Do You Have an “Internet” Department?Does Your Company Have an Online Strategy?Getting to Know Your Audience.Corporate Politics.Sitewide Branding.Quality Issues.Making the Site Searchable.Production Management.The Web Team.The Corporate Publishing Process.The Subsite: Risks and Rewards.Allowing Creativity.Creating Cohesion.Summary.Interview: Managing a Large-Scale Content Site.Janine Warner.

7. Quality Assurance and Testing.
Quality Assurance: Some General Principles.What Is Unique about Testing Web Sites?The Promised Environment.The Role of Testing in Quality Assurance.The Role of the Specification for Black-Box or Requirements-Based Testing.A Successful Test Plan.Web Testing Tools.QA and Testers Shake out the Bugs.Summary.Interview: Quality Assurance for Web Applications.Sophie Jasson-Holt.

8. Technological Advances and the Impact on Web Teams.
Emerging Technologies and Changing Needs.The Web as Interactive Television.The Web as Information Store.Portable Web: Convenience and Access.Tools.Preparing for Change.Changes in the Process.Summary.Interview: Web Sites of the Future.Tim Smith and Joel Hladecek.

9. The Evolving Team.
Where Do You Go from Here?Stay Up to Date.The Care and Grooming of Your Team.Changing Skill Sets.Detecting Weakness in a Team.Training.User Groups (UseNet).Classes.Books.Heading toward Efficiency.Summary.

10. Case Studies.
Absolut DJ: The Consultancy Team. Introduction.Objectives and Metrics.The Consultancy Team.Background and Planning.The Process.Lessons Learned.Power of Ten.The Results.The E-Commerce Team. Introduction.Objectives and Metrics.The Team.The Solution.The Process.Key Obstacles.Results.Oxford Express: A Shopping Utility for Lands' End. Introduction.Objectives and Metrics.The Team.Background and Planning.The Process.Results.The Miami Herald Publishing Company. Introduction.Objective.The Team.The Solution.Key Obstacles.Results.When the Process Fails. Introduction.Objective.The Team.Background.The Process.Key Obstacles and Project Risks.Lessons Learned.Conclusion.

Appendix A


Appendix B: Web Team Resource Guide.
Project Management Tools.Web Design Programs.HTML Text Editors.Image Programs.Software Testing Tools.HTML Conversion Programs.Multimedia and Animation Programs.GIF Animation Programs.Java Development Tools.Shareware Programs.Hardware Guide.

Index. 0201433311T04062001

About the Author

Jessica Burdman is Director of Production at Red Sky Interactive. Ms. Burdman has also worked with Microsoft on their Solutions Framework for ensuring the quality of Web projects that feature Microsoft technology. In addition, she serves as a spokesperson for USWeb's Web Certification Program for Project Management.