In the interactive realm, user experience design, commonly referred to as UX design, relates to the practice of creating a website that considers an end user's interaction, intuition, and general acceptance of the end product. UX design relies heavily on established usability principles in order to produce assets that 'make sense' to an end user. Elements such as structure and organization, page layout, content and creative design are all factors in user experience. With good reason, UX design is gaining momentum in the interactive space. It places users at the center of the design process - this is also called participatory design.
If we don't consider how an end user will interact with products we develop, there is a very slim chance that we'll deliver anything of value. Case in point, a website could be jam packed with extremely useful information, but if users of the site cannot locate what they need, we have delivered a poor product. Likewise, if a user is able to navigate a website, but the experience is difficult and ambiguous, we have also delivered a poor product. If executed well, user experience design can help avoid these types of problems.
Integrating a process around UX design represents an investment, typically passed on to the client in the overall cost of a project. Because UX design often relies on user research, the practice may require new experts and new methodologies that are different from projects where UX design is not considered. Here are some tactics that can be employed within UX design, although the list is not limited to these concepts:
- Usability testing
- Heuristic evaluation
- Persona development
- User interviews
Something I've mentioned in numerous entries is that our clients will become savvier as we work with them on more web initiatives. As they assess these initiatives with more critical observation, more weight will be placed on performance metrics, campaign results, and return on investment. Practices of UX design that utilize research will help us justify strategic and tactical decisions, providing clients with a higher level of confidence when recommendations are made.
At this point in the evolution of web development, having an experienced Usability expert on staff is crucial. This expert may come in the form of an Information Designer, a Business Analyst, or even an Interface Designer with a special interest in usability. The point of view these resources bring to production will help strengthen the quality of all end deliverables, educating the other team members along the way.
To learn more about the basics of usability, visit this website.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Resourcing Project Managers
Ironically, although resourcing production team members is a significant part of a Project Manager's role, very little focus is placed on resourcing the Project Managers themselves. Because of this, I've encountered many Project Managers that are overwhelmed, worn out, and in many ways, ineffective. Over time, I've developed some generic strategies to help Directors allocate an appropriate amount of work to Project Managers. In this entry, I'll discuss some simple ideas to help get started.
Base It On Budgets - As with any project team resource, a Project Manager's full work load should be based on the monies available in project budgets to support their work efforts. In other words, the hours allocated to Project Management within a project budget must dictate how many hours the PM dedicates to the initiative. As an example, if a Project Manager has 40 hours in a budget, and the project will be completed within four weeks, the PM should be averaging ten hours per week on that project. This is often how we resource production team members, and the Project Manager should be no exception to this very basic approach.
Portfolio Management - In this scenario, I am defining a portfolio as all projects associated to a single client. Allowing a PM to manage all initiatives for one client organization may not follow any mathematical equation for total hours worked, but the benefits of a Project Manager becoming familiar with multiple facets of a client's business represent added value to that client over time. The Project Manager will develop a global view of the client's online business, putting them in a position to identify synergies in marketing or technical strategies. If this approach is used, it's critical that the Project Manager's direct supervisor monitors work load closely. If the portfolio grows past critical mass, it may make sense to bring on a second PM to share the work, as long as project budgets support that decision.
Ultimately, a Project Manager's workload must be measured and monitored like that of any other production team member. Project hours must be charted across project duration, to understand how the ebb and flow of project work will affect a PM's workload over time. Weekly meetings should be held with each PM on your team to discuss any anticipated issues and to determine contingency plans for busier periods. As I've said before, when a Project Manager drops a ball, it tends to have a ripple effect on all their projects, so this is a case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in preserving the quality of all projects through productive project management.
Base It On Budgets - As with any project team resource, a Project Manager's full work load should be based on the monies available in project budgets to support their work efforts. In other words, the hours allocated to Project Management within a project budget must dictate how many hours the PM dedicates to the initiative. As an example, if a Project Manager has 40 hours in a budget, and the project will be completed within four weeks, the PM should be averaging ten hours per week on that project. This is often how we resource production team members, and the Project Manager should be no exception to this very basic approach.
Portfolio Management - In this scenario, I am defining a portfolio as all projects associated to a single client. Allowing a PM to manage all initiatives for one client organization may not follow any mathematical equation for total hours worked, but the benefits of a Project Manager becoming familiar with multiple facets of a client's business represent added value to that client over time. The Project Manager will develop a global view of the client's online business, putting them in a position to identify synergies in marketing or technical strategies. If this approach is used, it's critical that the Project Manager's direct supervisor monitors work load closely. If the portfolio grows past critical mass, it may make sense to bring on a second PM to share the work, as long as project budgets support that decision.
Ultimately, a Project Manager's workload must be measured and monitored like that of any other production team member. Project hours must be charted across project duration, to understand how the ebb and flow of project work will affect a PM's workload over time. Weekly meetings should be held with each PM on your team to discuss any anticipated issues and to determine contingency plans for busier periods. As I've said before, when a Project Manager drops a ball, it tends to have a ripple effect on all their projects, so this is a case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in preserving the quality of all projects through productive project management.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Understanding What Your Clients Expect
I recently answered a question on LinkedIn regarding client management, and the content is relevant to Interactive Project Management. I've pasted the question and answer below for the readers of this blog, to reiterate the importance of managing client expectations - a topic I touch on in most of my entries.
Q: What are the unexpressed expectations of your customers, and how can they be brought more in line with what you will actually deliver?
A: Ultimately, any individual or team providing a service is responsible for understanding their client's expectations. As the question suggests, these expectations are not always clearly articulated, since they are often multi-faceted, and can affect more than one stakeholder. To be clear, you cannot meet expectations that you are unaware of, so the question becomes, how do you work with a client to unearth their true needs? Here are a few suggestions:
- Initiate the engagement with a thorough discovery process: Discovery is a fundamental due diligence that any service provider must execute. A discovery phase may include exploration of who key stakeholders are, their discreet business requirements, the immediate and long-term project objectives, project constraints, and how the project is tied to your client's professional profile. Working through these questions will formulate a more complete profile of their expectations.
- Be transparent: Let your client know exactly what they can expect from you. Describe your work process, mutual roles and responsibilities, and what project deliverables you will produce at the onset of the initiative. Again, this tactic will ensure you're managing your client's expectations, by providing them with an opportunity to flag concerns about your methodology or intended output before you invest a significant amount of time in the engagement.
Incorporating these strategies should help uncover and align your client's expectations with your own understanding of the project. It is your fundamental responsibility to guide your client down the right path, and you will not do so without properly understanding what they expect as well as what they actually need.
Q: What are the unexpressed expectations of your customers, and how can they be brought more in line with what you will actually deliver?
A: Ultimately, any individual or team providing a service is responsible for understanding their client's expectations. As the question suggests, these expectations are not always clearly articulated, since they are often multi-faceted, and can affect more than one stakeholder. To be clear, you cannot meet expectations that you are unaware of, so the question becomes, how do you work with a client to unearth their true needs? Here are a few suggestions:
- Initiate the engagement with a thorough discovery process: Discovery is a fundamental due diligence that any service provider must execute. A discovery phase may include exploration of who key stakeholders are, their discreet business requirements, the immediate and long-term project objectives, project constraints, and how the project is tied to your client's professional profile. Working through these questions will formulate a more complete profile of their expectations.
- Be transparent: Let your client know exactly what they can expect from you. Describe your work process, mutual roles and responsibilities, and what project deliverables you will produce at the onset of the initiative. Again, this tactic will ensure you're managing your client's expectations, by providing them with an opportunity to flag concerns about your methodology or intended output before you invest a significant amount of time in the engagement.
Incorporating these strategies should help uncover and align your client's expectations with your own understanding of the project. It is your fundamental responsibility to guide your client down the right path, and you will not do so without properly understanding what they expect as well as what they actually need.
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