Project managment - Dealing with the players, the process and keeping a web development project on track. WordCamp Chicago 2014

1. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Or How to Herd Cats
WordCamp Chicago 2014 Becky Davis @beckyddesign

2. ABOUT BECKY
 Designer/Dev from Chicago
 1st WordPress site in 2009
 1st WordCamp – Chicago 2010
 1st WordCamp site design – Chicago 2011
 Number of WordPress custom themes built – 40+
 Solopreneur, partner with a lot of great people
 meetup.com/Chicago-WordPress-Meetup/

3. WHO IS THE PROJECT MANAGER?
 Smaller project – the designer/developer
 Larger project:
 A designated person
 Any team member
 Developer **
Needs to understand:
 How sites go together
 Who the players are
 What they do and don’t understand
 What it will take to get done

4. PROJECT MANAGER SKILLS
 Managing Expectations
 Proactively Organized
 Communication
 Let ideas flow first, problem solve second
 Documentation
 If it wasn’t documented, did it really happen?
 Excessive patience
• =less aggravation

5. WHAT DOES A PROJECT MANAGER DO?
 Outlines project and steps needed
 Sets the timeline/deadlines
 Creates the agenda for any meeting/call
 Gets the right people involved in the
approval/input process
 Coordinate people with different talents
& agendas
 Doesn’t need to be part of every
discussion, but does need to know the
outcome/decision
 Keeps things on track

6. POINT OF VIEW
 Most people in the project
will not “get” what the
other person is doing
 Lots of
skillsets/priorities/understa
nding
 Everyone has their own
agenda
 Individual discovery 1st
before group meeting

7. THE CLIENTS
 Editors(s) – Know the subject matter –
not the tech, actively involved. Will have
strong opinions, not necessarily understand
scope.
 Owner(s) – Must have buy-in, final decision maker,
may or may not be actively involved. Must get them
involved EARLY at key points.
 The office staff – Know the subject
matter – not the tech, not actively involved.
Actually have to use the site.

8. THE WORKERS
 Designer – Hopefully know the tech,
actively involved.
 IA/UX – Hopefully know the tech, actively
involved. Probably doesn’t know WordPress.
 Developer – Listen to all above.
Make the magic happen.

9. KEEPING IT ALL ON TRACK
 Would that it were all this simple…

10. TOOLS
 Basecamp
 Trello
 Google drive
 Dropbox
 Email folders, calendars – whatever
works for you and client
 Keep the conversation and assets in on central place.
 Take the time to train the client on proper usage and
house rules.

11. IN CONCLUSION
 It’s all politics baby
 Be nice
 Be prepared
 Be organized
 Analyze what went wrong
and learn
 Have fun!
 Questions?