Client Pitfalls - CS 50.31 and 50.32
Here are some some issues you may want to take into account as you begin this "adventure" with our students. In the past these situations have caused projects to slow down or stop.
Not enough time or energy
A very common problem has been to underestimate the the amount of time involved in creating a Web site. It takes a great deal of time to provide the words and pictures which make up your site. The text needs to come in as a digital file. Also you need to provide the pictures which we can scan in. If others in your organization will be providing the content, contact them now and set deadlines for them.
I recommend you begin to gather your data as soon as you are notified that you have been assigned a team.
You will also be amazed at the number of decisions which need to be made. You will need to answer many questions some of which are included below:
the major categories of information
the order of the categories
the sub categories
the elements which should be on every page
is there a color scheme which is required
is there a logo which needs to be included
who will take care of the site
where will it be stored
etc......
I like to compare creating a Web site to building a house. Although someone else is building your home, you will need to decide what materials will be used. As your team builds the site you will be asked to make numerous decisions, so set aside time and energy so you can make decisions quickly.
Client identity crisis
For many teams, developing a design that pleases the client is the biggest challenge. It will help your team if they know what type of client you are. Several types are listed below. You may want to read through them and decide what approach you want to take when working with the designer.
Anything goes
Many clients do not have a design background or do not have a clear idea of what they want for the design. They often give the designer a great deal of freedom to design whatever they feel will work best. This type of client is somewhat "hands off". The advantage of this approach is that you do not need to spend as much time working with the designer and the project usually proceeds fairly quickly. The disadvantage is that the design will not reflect your personal ideas.
Do it my way
This type of of client is on the opposite end of the spectrum from the client described above. They have extremely specific ideas about what they do or do not want. They want to see the site design at every step of the process, and may want to make changes throughout the design process. The advantage of this approach is that the client is able to see their ideas come to life without learning Photoshop or HTML. The disadvantage is that this will take a great deal more time on the part of the client. In addition, some clients find that what they "thought" would be great as a web page, does not turn out exactly as they anticipated. If you have strong ideas for what you want at your Web site, the students will respect your wishes, just let them know at the first meeting.
the yo yo client
Our students have created extremely successful site with both the "anything goes" and the "do it my way" client. The problems have occurred with a client who wants control but does not have the time or expertise to make the necessary decisions. The may tell the students to use their own judgment, but once they see the results they are often dissatisfied and begin to change many aspects of the design. Another problem is when the client's instincts are in contradiction with the basic principles of web design. Some clients change their mind after they see the results of their suggestions and continue to make suggestions which they find disappointing. Since we are on an 18 week timeline it is essential that a design be agreed upon by a certain date. If you find your team is having a difficult time developing a design, I recommend you give the designer some general requirements, and then let them use their training to come up with 1-2 designs. I can also meet with the client and the designer to mediate the situation.
I feel so misunderstood
The information which will be included at your Web site may be crystal clear to you, but very confusing to students. Be prepared to explain what the terms, files, and abbreviations mean. Students may ask questions that seem "dumb" to you as an expert in your field. Your patience is appreciated as they sort through the files you share with them.
Disorganized Client
Which brings me to another possible problem, "the shoe box syndrome". My father was an accountant, and during tax season folks would bring their shoe box with receipts to my father in the hopes he could make sense of it all. He did, but our students won't. You need to spend some time organizing your content so that the file contains just what you want to see on the web. If the files need to be renamed, broken up or combined, please do that before giving them to students. If the information is old or inaccurate, update it before passing it along. The phrase "garbage in garbage out" applies here. It will be much easier for the students to create your site if you take the time to clean it up before you pass it on.
Split Personality
These clients have an internal conflict among the members and there may be "office politics" at play. We ask that there be only 1 decision maker, a committee may give that decision maker their marching orders, but we need a single volice. Students do not have the skills required to mediate conflicting visions for the website.