Introduction > developing a team

 

Team Roles

I have found it is best if the team members adopt roles and areas of responsibility. Groups that adopt the policy of "we will all work on everything together" are usually ineffective. Listed below are the typical group roles.

Project Manager (PM)- this person manages the workflow of the project. They make sure deadlines are met, the client is happy, and the team is communicating effectively. If organization and management is an area of interest then the PM role may be perfect for you. Projects Managers also create the project web site. This person should have successfully completed CS 50.11 A/B.

Designer (DES) - responsible for creating the look and feel of the site. The designer develops a color scheme, creates " user friendly" navigation, selects images, designs the logo, formats font, and develops the site layout. This person should have successfully completed "Web Design with CSS & Graphics" CS 50.21 A/B.

Interactive Media Developer (IMD) - Creates Flash animations or videos which will be used within site. Coordinates the design of these elements with the designer. Flash element may contain text, images, sounds, and video. Video production may require editing, taping, and conversion to video which can be played from the web. This student should have successfully completed CS 74.21B or 74.31 A or B.

Programmer (PRGM) - Creates PHP, ASP.net, Java or Javascript code for project. The programmer may be asked to create online forms which will send email, write to a web page or a web database. Programmers need to work in cooperation with the designer to insure their forms and output of their scripts matches the look of the site. They may also be asked to setup Paypal, a domain name or locate an ISP. This person should have successfully completed a Web programming class. Students who apply for this position should have successfully completed one of the programming classes in PHP, ASP.net, JavaScript or JAVA.

Content Developer (CD) - gathers the content for the site from the client, analyzes what content goes on each page, places the content into the site according to the designers template, adapts the client's content to fit within the designer's template, checks the pages for typos and grammatical errors, and loads the files onto the Web. This job requires a student who has successfully completed CS 50.11B.

Content developers can also specialize in 2 additional areas as listed below:
Marketing - registers site with search engines, works with client to generate ideas for publicizing the site, investigates social networking options.

Training - loads the site onto the web, explains to the client what they have, and delivers any training the group has agreed to provide the client.