Roles Defined - project managers

This lesson is devoted to clarifying the role of the Project Manager. During the meeting I hope to discuss the following topics:

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contact the team begin team discussion - Obtain contact information for team. I will send out an email announcing that the team assignment are up. You need to contact each team member by email and ask them for phone (home, cell, work) and ask for times when you can meet as a team.

You are the person who "breaks the ice" and gets the team communicating. Keep communication between the team upbeat and productive. Your job begins the first day you are assigned a team and never stops until the class is over. Your need to be supportive, do what you can to resolve conflicts, and offer encouragement and support. When the class begins you will need to take the lead in raising issues, reminding the team of the timeline, and encouraging the team to talk. As the semester progresses the team should feel more comfortable with each other and will lead less prodding.

You can visit the class introduction page to find your teammates email address. Visiting this page will also allow you to get to know your classmates in advance. If someone on your team does not respond to your welcome note within 2-3 days send your instructor a note. Once you have the team and client contact information create the "contact.html" page.

contact page before project site has been designed and navigation added.

contact page after entire site has been developed

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develop a communication plan - The most common problem among teams is a lack of communication. Since some of our students will be participating online it is essential that all students set aside time to check their email and respond to it. Each student needs to clearly understand their responsibility regarding team communication.

As the PM you are the leader of the team. As the team gets to know each other you need to initiate communication and folllow through if there are any quiet students, or unanswered email. If you have any questions, send me a note.

The communication plan will be developed by the team, refer to the Team Communication Plan page for details on the assignment.

As the class progresses and communication problems arise, I always refer to the team communication plan before trying to resolve the issue. It needs to be as detailed and thorough as you can make it.

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prepare for first client meeting - Hold a team meeting to plan for the first client meeting. For some groups a face to face meeting works best while others can get this done using email or a chat room. The goals for this meeting are:

  • develop a list of meeting times that work for everyone on your team BEFORE you contact the client.
  • develop a list of questions you will send to the client 3-5 days before the meeting. These questions will form the basis of the first meeting agenda. The PM begins the process of developing the questions, although then entire team can help you refine them. Examples and models are displayed below:
    Web page example TLT
    Estimate Request Form - Word example
  • develop a plan for meeting as a team before the client meeting. Will you meet in the parking lot 10 minutes before the meeting? How will you handle a late teammate?

Create a meeting agenda, identify what issues will be discussed and who will supervise each area of the agenda. agenda example.

Send the client links to the following pages which are either new to them, or they have read before.

Client Info
Client Overview
Client Pitfalls
Client Calendar

Finally, this is the first year I have been using the packet of Word Files from the Professional Web Business Tools site. This document may prove useful, I am not requiring it, but am recommending it. Feel free to modify as needed.

Client Responsibilities Handout

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Contact client and set up the first meeting - The PM is responsible for setting up the first meeting and all future meetings. Setting up the first meeting will probably occur within 5-7 days of being assigned a client. You and the team has also developed questions which will be discussed at the first meeting. These questions should be sent to the client 3-5 days before the first meeting.

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keep first meeting on track - As you meet with your client you may discover that although they are very excited about having a Web site, they are not quite sure why they want one. The questions you sent them should help focus the meeting however sometimes clients become distracted and ramble on about the non profit instead of the web site. Your job this week is to keep the client and the team on track.

When the meeting ends you should have accomplished these goals.

  • establish a warm friendly working relationship between your team and the client.
  • obtain contact information for the client including what their preference is, email, phone, face to face.
  • develop a communication plan for the client by answering these questions
    * How often will the client be updated regarding the project?
    * How quickly will the client respond to the team's email?
  • receive the answers for the questions you compiled. If some of the questions are not answered you need to set a deadline for when they will be answered.
  • a rough draft of the storyboard which shows boxes for all of the pages at the site and shows how the pages are organized and connected.
  • as much content as you can get
  • a sense of the clients design sense and level of involvement with the design process
  • a timeline for getting the remaining content

I recommend you relax and enjoy the experience. This is a great group of people. The clients are grateful for your help, your teammates want to like you. Everyone is nervous and a bit confused - it will wear off in about 18 weeks. :->.

When you attend the meeting dress in appropriate business attire (suit and tie is not necessary but maybe one step above student grunge). If the client seems really casual you can wear whatever you want to the subsequent meetings, but it never hurts to look professional the first time. Develop a plan for folks who are late to the client meeting.

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Supervise additional meetings as needed: Occassionally the first meeting produces all the conent you need, and the design criteria are cliearly established. In most cases there will need to be follow up meetings to gather content, finalize the design, work on the flash animation, recreate a form, etc.

The entire team does not need to attend these meetings, however as the PM you need to be aware of them and make sure that they are producing what your team needs to complete the propsal. The meetings may be held electronically, on the phone or using Web Chat tools. Check in with your teammates to verify that they are doing what they need to do to obtain content, a design, etc.

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assemble Web Proposal: This is a printed document which is provided to the client and the instructor. All of the items in this Web proposal are also a part of the Project Web site which is described below. Many students find it easiest to create these documents as Web pages and print them out when the printed Web Proposal is presented to the instructor and approved the client by.

Although the Project Manager compiles the Web Proposal, they are not responsible for creating all of it's elements. As you review the elements of a Web Proposal there will be initials next to each item to determine who should provide that element. Since many of the elements of the Web Proposal are contributed by others, I recommend you set an internal deadline which is 3-5 days ahead of the class deadline.

If a piece of the proposal which is contributed by a classmate is not done by the due date, your grade will NOT be affected. Do NOT make the missing element for your teammate, it is not helpful and makes my job as the teacher much harder. If a team member does not provide the required item, the team will still meet with the instructor to review the proposal.

Instructor's tips for a successful proposal

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Web Proposal Elements

  • Contact Sheet (PM) This ia a page that includes the names and contact information for the client and the team members view example
  • Strategic Brief (PM) This is a document which describes the organization, lists the goals and objectives of the project, documents the tone and message of the site and describes the site's target audience:
    instructor guidelines for strategic brief
    TLT example
    Puente example
  • Deliverables (CD) this is a detailed list of what the client will receive include the number of pages, the images you will provide, any scripts you create, PDF files, training, marketing, etc. Make this document very detailed to avoid confusion later.
    view TLT example
  • Storyboard (DES) This is a series of boxes which are a picture of the site. Use one box for each page and show the hierarchy and structure of the site.
    view Friends House example
  • Production Standards / directory structure chart (CD) This document contains a written description of how the HTML files will be named, and created. Where will the images be stored. Finally show where all the files for the site will be stored. This document helps the Designer and Content Developer understand where all the files are put and what the linking code should be.
    view Friends House example
  • Workflow Plan (PM) This explains who does what and when it will be done by. The form is fairly general, feel free to modify it if it needs changes to meet the needs of your project. Workflow Plan
  • Contract (PM) This document explains what the team will do and what the client will do in return. Please ask to use this site in your electronic portfolio, ask for letters of reference, and a link at the bottom of the pages crediting your team and the SRJC Web Development Program
    view instructor example you may also want to consult the Web Development Contract proved by the Professional Web Business Tools site.
  • Comps (also called Mock Ups) (DES) - A mock up is a picture of what the finished web pages will look like, it is not an actual sliced web page. The mock up is a template which has HTML and CSS and inserts "pretend text and images to simulate the look which will be achieved at the actual site. Another approach is to create a flattened GIF or JPEG which is created in Photoshop and then optimized for display on the Web. After the client approves the mock the template of code or PSD image will be refined into code which will be used by the CDs to create the site. These documents may prove useful to the designer learn more about comps || review design standards
  • Creative Brief (DES) - This document serves as a written explanation and justification for the design you created. Often a large client will receive more than just graphical mock ups, they will have a multi page proposal which explains how this design ties in to the existing corporate look and satisfies the company goals for the web site.
    Guidelines for the Creative Brief || HCA || SRJC Culinary Academy || Art Quest
  • Technical Brief - (PROG) This report explains what the programmer will be creating, where the scripts will be stored, and why the programs have been created as they have. || view TLT example ||

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set up instructor Web Proposal Meeting - Contact your team to determine how they will be participating in the instructor meeting (face to face or CCCC is my preference). Then determine which time slots works for them and sign up for a meeting with the instructor where you and your team will present the proposal. Visit the class message board and select the post titled "Web Proposal Sign up"

One final resource is listed here - Instructor's tips for a successful proposal

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create a Project Site - The Web Project site begins the second week of class, when you create a simple contact page and place it on the Web. This project ends at the end of the semester when the final testing results are placed online and the client manual is finished.

The purpose of the site is to organize all the documents, deadlines, meetings, etc. that are created as you plan the clients site. This site is not used by the public, it is used by the team, the instructor and in some cases the client.

Here are the elements that make up a project site:

  • team contact page (PM)
  • strategic brief (PM)
  • communication plan (team coordinated by PM)
  • deliverables (CD)
  • storyboard (DES)
  • Production Standards / directory structure chart (CD)
  • Work Flow chart (PM)
  • Contract (PM)
  • Comps / Mock ups (DES)
  • Creative Brief (DES)
  • Technology Brief - optional (PRGM)
  • link to shell site (CD link made by PM)
  • bid (team coordinated by PM)
  • links to testing results
  • link to actual site
  • link to client manual

Special Note - If you are a designer enrolled in CIS 50.32 who is working as a Project Manager you will need to design a splash screen, navigation, color scheme and text formatting standards for the Web Project site. example Petaluma Arts Council Project site.
example Petaluma Arts Council by Linda Drexler or Legal Aide Sonoma County by Jerilyn Johnson

If you are enrolled in CS 50.31 working as a Project Manager you can produce a bare bones site with text links and a simple look. example - Theatre Arts Project Site by Beth Henderson.

Project sites with some design added are:
Sonoma County Folk Society by Nichelle Rourke or TLT - Jeri Hastava

I will review the project site one week after the Web Proposal meeting, if the PM wants my input on the design of the site I am happy to provide it, just send me an email request.

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Complete HTML Certification - All Project Managers enrolled in CS 50.31 must complete the HTML Certification process. Some of you may find that the first few weeks of class are slow for you and this may be a good time to get the exams out of the way. Others may find that they need to wait until after the Web proposal is complete before they begin this process. If you have questions about the exams please send me a note.

HTML certification explained || Sign up for HTML Testing || Review HTML test schedule || Form you print out and take to lab

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client signs Web proposal - After your team has met with the instructor, then you will need to meet with the client. The Project Manager needs to review the proposal with the client, explain any items where there is confusion, and obtain their signature on the contract and their initials on the comps, sotryboard, and list of delieverables, as well as the shell site. Hopefully communication between the client and team has been good, and they are familiar with the elements of the site and eagerly sign the proposal.

If client sign off does not go smoothly, and you need help resolving the problems, please send me a note.

Some teams are so confident that the client will accept the proposal that they present it to the client BEFORE the instructor meeting. That is fine with me.

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monitor site production - check in with the CD once a week and ask them to share the URLs of the pages they have produced. If the client wants to see the site as it is developing, pass along that information to the client. If there are issues during the production phase try to resolve them, contact me if you can't.

Test the site with the Typical users- During the production of the site, the PM needs to ask the client to provide them with the names of 10 "typical users". Once the site is finished the PM will send these users a questionnaire and create a report based on their feedback.

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Produce the final bid - Each member of the team has been asked to keep track of their hours so they can assist you in creating a bid.

Refer to these documents

estimate worksheet || excel estimate worksheet || work log

Assist in client handoff process - Assemble a CD which contains the client web site (HTML, CSS, web images, PDF, scripts), original PSD files, and a client manual.

example of client manual:
Tech academy || Health Care for All || BATO Client Manual || Turtle Client Manual
CCAT - they created several documents:
1. an explanatory document
2. how to use dreamweaver to change a file
3. about the graphics at the site
4. the paypal system for the site

Completed Site Signoff - Word file