Sample Content Deck

In response to a previous entry, The Power of a Content Deck, I'm providing a sample content deck for my readers to download and use.  This sample deck is only a few pages, but the intention is to provide a format that can be replicated for each page of a site.  This format has evolved out of twelve years of interactive project management, and is the best example of an integrated document that I've been able to develop.  As mentioned in my previous entry, this document ties in the following aspects of the build:

• Information Architecture - Each page within the content deck must be numbered according to the page numbers in the final information architecture, so that the documents correlate to one another, and the team and client can easily reference both in conjunction.
• Search Engine Optimization - The deck includes page and meta description tags, which will be indexed and used by search engines to qualify and index your website content.
• Multimedia - The deck makes specific reference to any imagery or video being used on each page of the site, so that the build team can locate these assets quickly as they develop each page.

This deck format will work for most website builds, and should be amended to meet unique needs as required.  It's been my experience that this deck has saved hours of work by presenting relevant information in a single location.  I've had great success and feedback, not only from my team, but from my clients, as well.  Please share your feedback with me.

Sample Content Deck

The Power of a Content Deck

One of the challenges of web development - particularly when you're using a waterfall approach - is to bridge together the discreet documentation the team produces, so that each individual element is part of a larger whole.  Documentation produced by tech should reference and leverage documentation produced by information design, and so on.  Not only does this help present a cohesive picture to the team and client, these references will be useful come development, when the team will be expected to stitch each piece together into a single product.  Over the past year, I've focused on leveraging the content deck as a key document to help tie together supporting assets with great success.

Why the content deck?: The content deck comes at a key juncture in the life cycle of an interactive project - it is driven by information design, but will inform creative design.  It is a lynchpin for the team, touched by everyone.  More importantly, it may be the only complete reference to the site that exists.  Wireframes and storyboards are often only produced for key or unique pages, but the content deck will likely include copy for each and every page of the site.

What to incorporate: Beyond actual copy, the content deck should reference and incorporate the following elements:

• Numeration from the information architecture and wireframes - this allows an individual to understand exactly where individual content elements will live within the site and on a given page.  Not only will this will help the client greatly during content review, which can be a disjointed experience, it is necessary for the technical team, who will have to populate each website page with the proper copy.
• Multimedia files and server location - most sites include photography and/ or video, and the content deck provides an ideal opportunity to reference which specific media assets should be placed on which screens.  Again - the content deck may be the only complete reference you have to the entire site, so it's a simple and easy way to pass this information along to the technical team for the build.  But, don't stop at the image or video name - include the location of that file on the server, or on an external social media site, as well, so the team will know where the asset currently lives.
• SEO data - title tags and meta descriptions for individual pages can also live in the content deck.  This means the tech team will have a single place to refer to for all this information, instead of disparate documents they'd otherwise have to try and connect to one another.

Improvements to the way in which websites are built can easily be made by streamlining our work process.  Consider maximizing the value of the content deck by incorporating much more pertinent information than simply copy.  In the context of web development, the old saying, content is king, can be tweaked - content deck is king.

Making Web Analytics Easy

One of the advantages the web offers over traditional forms of marketing is measurability.  This means we can understand the success of a site by how users interact with it - how many individuals visit, how much time they spend on the site, what pages they view, and even how they arrived.  No other medium offers the insight and ability for analysis like the web.  But knowing what analytics tool is right, what numbers are important, and how to approach reporting can be overwhelming.  As with most things, a logical and simple approach is the best way to begin - not only for you as a Project Manager, but for your clients, as well.

Determine what success means:  The term KPI, or Key Performance Indicator, is used to describe the measurement of success for a site.  In simple terms, it means identifying what activity on your website will be a sign of good performance.  Success varies for each website - some sites are intended to grow subscriber databases, others aim to sell product, and the list goes on.  It's important that the metrics for success are identified in the initial planning stages, so that the site can be built with an understanding of what it's supposed to achieve.  

Select the right analytics tool: There are numerous options to choose from when selecting a web analytics tool.  Important considerations include business requirements (how sophisticated will reporting requirements be?), costs (up-front purchase and ongoing licensing fees), and overall usability (determine whether the client will access reporting directly).  For many, free tools, such as Google Analytics are more than sufficient.  Do your research and try and demo the products you're interested in before making a decision.

Make reporting simple: Once you have access to your site analytics, you should standardize the format and frequency of the report that will be generated.  Not every measurement is important to all websites, so pare back to the most critical metrics, or the report will lose its focus and impact.  Remember the KPIs that were set initially - build a report around numbers that will support these benchmarks.  Once you've determined what your report will look like, create a dashboard that provides a snapshot of the report.  Most analytics tools allow you to set-up a summary screen that pulls in select metrics.  This is the screen that appears immediately upon logging in, which makes it an effective tool if your client will access analytics on their own.  Many analytics tools also allow these reports to be automatically generated and distributed via email, based on a schedule you can control.  So, if your client wants a summary report every Monday, this process can often be triggered quite easily.

Three Strategies To Accelerate Web Development

Most Project Managers would agree that process is everything, and following process is the law of their discipline. But in times of dire need, when a client's deadline seems impossible to achieve, a condensed approach may be your only option. Rapid development can be a difficult path to navigate, particularly if you're current using a linear waterfall model. In this post, I offer some sound strategies for safely accelerating the lifecycle of a web project.

Produce hybrid deliverables: This is a critical change in the way most waterfall project cycles function. Traditionally, resources assigned to a web project will work in relative isolation to deliver their respective portions of a product. By enforcing a collaborative team effort, however, deliverables that were once specific to a practice area can be rolled up with complimentary deliverables to produce a single, more robust asset. As an example, a graphic designer could be working to establish high-level visual elements, such a colour palette, title treatment and navigational style, while an information designer is producing wireframes. By providing a client with stylized wireframes that indicate page elements and aesthetic, you will combine two deliverables (wireframes and mock-ups) into a single document. If both resources work simultaneously, this can reduce the overall timeline of a project.

Prototype, prototype, prototype: Prototyping is a way of producing core functional elements of a site rapidly without applying any design, in order to receive team and client feedback earlier on in the project life cycle. Good prototyping requires critical technical and usability thinking to occur simultaneously. Combining this work effort will generally shorten the time it takes to produce an end deliverable, since the back and forth between the departments will be greatly reduced. Prototyping will also engage a client at a deeper level more quickly, as they think about not what their site will do, but how it will do it, before it's too cumbersome to change the specifications.

Spend more time with your clients: Although we live in an era of email and conference calls, spending time in front of a client will help streamline review and approval cycles. If a storyboard, for instance, is presented in person by the designer, feedback can be received from the client immediately, and areas that require further discussion can be worked-through as a group, without delay. Tone is difficult to convey via email, so being in the same room as your client will help you understand the nuances of their concerns, likes, and dislikes. Quite simply, spending more time with your client will develop a more cohesive relationship of mutual understanding, and will go a long way towards reducing the inefficiencies that email and other electronic communication can create.

While these suggestions are not guaranteed to increase speed to market,more often than not, thoughtful incorporation of these tactics will shorten the overall timeline of a web project. Sit with your team and discuss these options. Making sure everyone understands your goal will help move the entire team forward in unison.

Planning a Project Post-Mortem - Part II

This entry is a continuation of the previous post - Planning a Project Post-Mortem - Part I.

At this point, you have solicited feedback from your team on a specific project, and the information has been synthesized and shared in a brainstorming session.  Potential process improvements have been determined, and it's time to close the loop and act on the information.  Below, the final phase of a post-mortem is described.

• Implementation of process improvements: As a Project Manager, once decisions have been reached internally about how your current process could be optimized, it is your responsibility to implement these changes in future projects.  If your current process is documented, work from this material to incorporate and formalize the changes in writing.  If you have a project timeline template, the changes should also be reflected there.  Regardless, the changes need to be communicated to the entire production staff - particularly since some individuals may not have participated in the project post-mortem.  Ideally, this communication will take place at an all-staff meeting.  What the team needs at this point are the highlights of key changes - how will these change affect each department?  How can they prepare for the changes?  People are more willing to adapt to change if they know what to expect.  

A project post-mortem is one of the most valuable methods available for analyzing weaknesses in a project lifecycle.  It gives team members an outlet for their feedback, and provides new perspectives to the Project Manager, who is sometimes too close to the process to assess it objectively. 

The process outlined in this and the previous post  are simply a guideline, and should be adapted for each organization for optimum effectiveness and ease of implementation.

The Kick-Off Meeting

Regardless of what industry you may work in as a Project Manager, every initative must be introduced to your team at a kick-off meeting.  While some kick-off meetings involve client stakeholders, this entry is about the internal kick-off - the objective, the agenda and outcomes.

Objective:  The objective, or purpose, of the kick-off meeting is to provide context to your team.  Who is the client and what are trying to achieve with this initiative?  What business are they in?  A Project Manager must also do some housekeeping at the kick-off.  Review your approach for project development, identify milestone dates and allow the team to air any concerns they have related to delivering the project on time or within budget.  The kick-off is a great opportunity for resources to identify potential project risks.  For this reason, each internal resource that will touch the project must attend the kick-off meeting.  No matter how small you believe their contribution may be, get as many poinst of view as possible to ensure no detail has been overlooked.

Agenda:  You want to keep the agenda fairly high-level, and allow your team to delve into areas they want to explore in more depth.  Your agenda should include client objectives, audience, website features, project timeline, and risks.  Each item should be presented as a bulleted list.  You want to give the team quick snippets of information and allow them to guide the conversation. This should happen naturally, as long as you allow open dialogue throughout the meeting.

Outcomes:  At the end of the meeting, you should have a list of additional questions/ considerations you can bring back to the client.  If you schedule a client kick-off to occur after your internal meeting, you will be able to present these questions at the client meeting.  It's also important to follow-up and address any team concerns internally.  If you're going to ask the team to contribute at a kick-off, do not disregard the points they bring up. 

The internal team kick-off is often the first chance a Project Manager has to discuss a new initiative with her resources.  Make the most of it by positioning the meeting as a round table discussion.  The comments and questions the team poses may help define important details of the project, avoiding potential disaster along the way.

I'm Back

As many of you know, I decided to cease posting to this blog many months ago after my identity was stolen online. Since then, I've received many, many notes from individuals who have found true value in some of my articles. For this reason, I've decided to return to my beloved blog and resume posting good information for the interactive Project Manager. If anyone would like to suggest some new topics, please get in touch - ginalijoi@gmail.com.

I have also decided to post Toronto multimedia job openings on my blog for free, to support employment during this difficult economic time.  Send me a note if you'd like me to post something.

Looking forward to making many new friends in the coming months.



Sincerely,
Gina

The Integration (and Growth) of the Online Channel

Although it's difficult to keep this perspective when you're immersed in the interactive world, the online channel really only represents a segment of the overall marketing mix, and thus, a percentage of total spend. The side-effect of this is that online often takes its direction from offline strategies, creative and messaging. The nature of this positioning has actual impact on the role of an Interactive Project Manager, which is what I'll discuss in this entry.

Is the web an afterthought?: Most online agencies are full of creative and ingenious people - people who provide incredible strategies and creative direction for online campaigns. Sadly, however, these people are also often handed direction by their clients' traditional agencies, posing a real limitation on original thinking. Although the web brings to life unique and deeper opportunities for consumer engagement, insight and extension of brand value. For a PM, this scenario means reigning in your team before any intensive ideation occurs, to ensure you have offline assets in-hand before going off in the wrong direction unknowingly.

Making friends with traditional partners: If your client works with offline agencies, the best thing you can do is position yourself in alignment with their efforts. Ask your client to share offline tactics with you. Always request to receive approved collateral- print pieces, television ads - anything produced for other media channels. All of these materials need to be reviewed and leveraged to create an online experience that delivers brand consistency and on-target messaging. You will also save your organization needless time and money spent strategizing concepts that may turn out to be off-brand.

Evangelize the difference!: As a Project Manager, you work very closely with clients and can influence their outlook. Always champion the unique benefits of the online channel. Don't fight the offline tactics - take them and push them further. The web is a reciprocal medium - a two way street that allows for the exchange of information with consumers. It is measurable and can also be refined based on metrics and analysis of performance - something that cannot happen as easily with traditional media.

Over time, the industry will see a shift in marketing dollars, where online receives an increased spend - in fact, it is already happening. Traditional marketing channels will not disappear, but the web will receive its due glory as clients scrutinize budgets and realize interactive media can better conclude ROI and also respond more quickly to change. The future is indeed bright for Interactive Project Management.