Hiring Members of the Team

You might choose to hire some help with your projects for many different reasons. Some projects might have components that you do not have time to complete yourself. The client might need things that are beyond the scope of your capabilities. It is more common that you will be good at some aspects of the work and not so good at others. For instance, you might find that you are excellent at developing code, but colors and design issues mystify you. Individuals who are great at everything are not the norm. Even if you are one of those who can do it all, it is often more cost - and time-effective to work with a team.

An effective way of working is to establish relationships with individuals or companies that provide the services you need. After you find people you can work with, you can quickly build project teams that are tailored to the needs of your client. Your "regulars" can develop a smooth workflow. You will also expand the size and scope of projects you take on.
Job titles in the Web-design industry vary greatly and even overlap. For instance, a Web/New Media designer and Project Manager might both be dubbed the Producer. When interviewing people, ask them what their actual experience is over what their job title is. You might also want to ask them whether they have worked on teams before and if they like the team environment. Assembling people who are team players helps ensure that the team will collaborate.

Project Manager

A project manager for a Web project - like the project manager for any project - keeps everyone on the same path and makes sure issues are dealt with as quickly and smoothly as possible. The project manager should be organized and detail oriented enough to responsibly do the following: make sure members of the team are hitting deadlines, keep track of hours spent on the project, and inform team members of situations that might affect them. A Web project manager needs to know about the workflow and time traps that can accompany the type of project you are planning. Experience working with creative individuals is also important because a project manager must understand each individual’s needs concerning workflow and how materials are to be delivered (both to and from team members). The project manager also has to estimate the time needed to complete different types of projects. Familiarity with industry standards and terms can help the project manager when dealing with professional designers. In some environments, the Web project manager is sometimes referred to as a producer.

Web Designer/New Media Designer

A true Web designer knows how to hand code HTML and CSS and might know some other scripting technologies, like JavaScript. Web designers are responsible for the visual design of the interface, creation of graphics, and optimization (resizing and compressing them for Web use) of photos. Web designers are also responsible for coding the pages, HTML, and CSS development.

Watch out for Web designers that "don't do" code. Web designers that downplay the importance of strong HTML and CSS skills are not really Web designers. They are graphic designers who make graphics that coders can use to create Web pages. It will save you time, money, and aggravation if you shop around for someone who can take care of the whole job, as opposed to someone who needs other members of the team to complete the tasks of creating the interfaces.

Web Developer/Programmer

Web developers and programmers design and create the back-end systems that make your site do more than just deliver static information. If you need or want your Web site to interact with your users, you need databases and the supporting programming to be in place.

As with Web designers, the importance of a good developer is often misunderstood. The availability of point-and-click development tools gives some people the impression that it is simple and easy to create databases and Web pages that will work with them. These easy-to-use tools are generally fairly limited in what they can do. If the site will have a lot of people interacting with it or if people will be performing complicated functions on the site, you should hire developers to build your system for you. If you want to add shopping functionality, you will need developers that understand how to make a safe, secure, and easy-to-use site, or users won’t buy the advertised products.

Content Developer/Writer

A good content developer or Web writer understands that writing for the Web is different than writing for other media because visitors interact with Web sites differently than they do with traditional, printed materials. When looking for Web writers, you want to hire someone who can deliver the following:

• Easy to Understand Information:
  You should look for a writer who can deliver concise text that has a good tone for the Web. Most successful Web sites have a more conversational tone.
  
  
• A Good Call to Action:
  A good Web writer can get a site’s users to act. Every site has a goal, but without a good call to action, users might not perform the tasks you want them to while on the site. A good call to action is irresistible. A savvy Web writer knows how to craft the content so it drives people to the pages and actions that you want them to see and do.
  
  
• Organization:
  Content developers must understand how to create a flow of information and leverage the nature of the Web to provide users and site owners with the best results.
  
  
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
  Content developers must know how to create text and meta tags that enable users to find the site through search engines.

Webmaster/Host

Hosting is a service usually provided by a third party. Web hosts own and care for Web servers. A Web server is a computer that has server software installed and is connected to the Internet. For a fee, the owners of the server, or host, allow individuals to copy their Web site files to the Web server so that they are accessible to everyone with an Internet connection.

In addition to owning servers and renting space, Web hosts take care of the servers. They might also provide additional software that tracks the number of visitors your site has. Many Web hosts also offer URL (Web site address - for example, www.yourname.com) purchasing services. Most Web hosts will sell a complete package, including space for your site, e-mail, traffic reports (number of visitors to your site), and URL purchasing.

Other Professional Help

You should consult with other professionals as you start to work on Web site projects. Designing Web sites is just like any other business, and it is important to get some help so that everything runs smoothly. We suggest that you contact the following types of professionals:

• Lawyer:
  If you plan to work for clients, you will need a lawyer. Make sure you hire someone who specializes in technology and creative industries. A knowledgeable lawyer can prepare contracts that spell out copyrights, address deliverables and timelines, and make sure everyone gets a fair deal. You will need someone who is an intellectual property specialist. A good contract makes sure that everyone understands the scope of the project, the responsibilities of the parties, and when the project will be delivered. It also spells out how the fees for services work - whether it is an hourly rate or a flat fee, everyone needs to understand and be in agreement. Also make sure that if the client requests or requires you to purchase stock photography, extra software, or fonts, that they are responsible for the costs.
  
  
• Accountant:
  As with any business, you need an accountant. Seek the advice of an accountant before you start to take in fees or hire others to work for you. She can advise you how to set up your business so that everything runs smoothly.

Managing the team

After you have assessed the needs of a project and called in the necessary team members, it’s a good time to have a kick-off meeting. In short, everyone needs to get together and discuss the project, timelines, expectations, and next steps. These two steps are particularly important in keeping the project moving smoothly:

• Establish the Workflow During the Planning Phase
  This is especially important if you are working with more than one service provider. Everyone needs to know how to communicate with one another. Will you be using instant messenger to stay in touch? Make sure everyone has contact information for each other. Find out what the daily schedules will be to facilitate communications.
  
  
• Set up Weekly Production Meetings
  To facilitate the meeting, the project manager should prepare a job grid (generally just in Excel) of all the tasks, who is responsible for what, expected delivery dates, status, priority, and any contingencies. All members of the team should update the team on their progress, any issues, and next steps. Make sure that you get good feedback from everyone - statements like, "I'm working on it," are not really helpful. At the very least, find out when each individual expects to finish assigned tasks. After the meeting, send out a follow-up e-mail that outlines what was agreed on. Include a new job grid reflecting progress and next steps.

Giving feedback that helps

Web projects have a lot of details to be taken care of. Do not forget to establish a process of asking for and receiving feedback. The project manager should inform members of the team that he is going to send materials to the client for review and await confirmation that everyone is ready for the client to see the work. If some pieces won’t be ready on time, do not hold up a scheduled review. Inform the client about the status as soon as you are aware of an issue. Proceed with the scheduled review and be prepared with adjusted timelines.

Establish a contact person within the client organization and communicate with that person only. It might sound unfriendly, but it is not. Having only one contact person ensures that there won’t be confusion as multiple people give feedback. The contact person should be responsible for asking people in their organization for feedback, getting signoffs (formal acceptance of the work as complete), obtaining materials that she is responsible for, and communicating with you or your project manager. The project manager is responsible for communicating with the team, presenting materials to the client for review, and making sure the project flows smoothly.

Keeping the team on track

One of the hardest things to control is something called scope creep. This is what happens when, during the course of a project, someone - a client or development team - decides to add "little extras" to make the project better. It is the job of the project manager to keep track of those little extras and make sure that they do not add up to a whole bunch of extra functionality that was not in the original agreement or budget. If the client asks for things that are outside the scope of the project, you have two options for moving forward:

• Incorporate the Extra Request into the Current Plan
  In this case, you have to tell the client that the extra request is beyond the scope of the agreed project and that amending the current scope document (and timeline and budget) is necessary.
  
  
• Discuss the Additional Functionality as a Future Project
  If the client agrees to hold off on the new idea for later, you can proceed with the project as planned. The good news is that you now have a future job already lined up.

In either case, let the team know about the requests so they can adjust accordingly.

If your client decides to amend the scope of the current project, you must prepare a new scope document, timeline, and budget. You and the client will have to sign and agree to it.

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