Company Blog

Over the years we have completed many projects.  So instead of providing you with a list of things not to do we have twisted it around.  Here is a list of things to do if you wish to fail your website project... A bit of fun.

The top 10 things to Do, to GUARANTEE your website project FAILS.

• The idea - When you are dreaming and coming up with your ideas, keep them in your head.  You don’t want anyone knowing the ins and outs and the secrets behind your future success.  When your Web Designer asks “What are we building you” don’t tell them.  Simply provide a paragraph or two on a beer soaked napkin and call it a scope of works.  Your Web Designer knows exactly what you want because he can read minds.
  
• The Quote - Get your Web Designer to fix the price and ask him to allow room for movement…then screw him on the price. We don’t want any surprises.  They have enough information on the beer soaked napkin to be able to tie down a firm price after all. Anyway when speaking to the sales guy he mentioned he had once completed a website for a chemist in Beaudesert and you’re a pharmaceutical company so they should understand your business and be able to give you the same price too?
  
• The Plan - The next thing the development team will spring on you is a plan.  They will spend days and days outlining how things will work, look and function. Don’t read it. Or if you are inquisitive at all, take a look just prior to the go live to make sure you are getting what you want at that late stage. If you do go through it and see something not correct then stay silent! I am sure the web designer does not want to be bogged down by clarifications this early in the project.
  
• Artwork – The fun part! Don’t forget your brother’s daughter’s friend is doing a TAFE course and maybe she can lend a hand?  It should save costs and she has over 2 weeks experience up her sleeve after all.  Perhaps ask for 8 - 10 versions of the artwork.  This way you can swap and change your mind at difference stages throughout development process. This should not delay anything.
  
• The Build – Disappear.  Why did the developers spend days and days on a Functional Specification? (reminder: must read that). If they ask you a question, wait at least 2 weeks to respond.  They will probably work it out in the meantime anyway. Remember, they understand your business because you provided them with the napkin. Also you had better give them a contact.  Probably best to give them a few contacts and make sure you never discuss the website before you speak to the web designer. That way you can both debate at the meetings and waste heaps time.
  
• Testing – Now we are talking. Time to get involved.  Hang on? Is this what you wanted?  Where is that idea you had in my head? Never mind maybe they have not finished that bit yet. Keep quiet.
  
• User Acceptance – Ask yourself – “Was I meant to do anything in that last phase?” I was hoping to see my website? This is it… Okay how does this work?
  
• Handover – Now is the time to change your mind and start thinking about Artwork, Usability and of course what your competitors are doing.  You’re going to smash them out of business with your amazing website. Don’t forget you still have 2-8 versions of the artwork up your sleeve.  Do you think that logo looks better in red? Just leave it until about now to provide your content. The Web Designer told me I should start getting it ready on day one, but I will knock this off in a night… Now where did I put that document?
  
  Time Rolls On – Budgets Increase
  
• Read the Functional Specification. How do we do this properly? Maybe we should follow a procedure?  Damn web designers!  It is so hard to find good ones.
  
• Ask for a refund. They have clearly misunderstood your original request.  Hell you provided them with a full bodied Scope of Works on that napkin and to be honest the window of opportunity has passed.
  
• Project Fail

Here at Web Design Magic we have literally spent years and years attempting to perfect the best methodology to invent software or create websites and systems. In the beginning, very much like any up and coming software house, we seemed to jump in and start building without to much thought into any processes either functional, legal or visual.

In the past 10 years as the industry evolved so did methodologies. Methodologies are rules (not set in concrete) that we have been told to follow in the attempt to create the perfect website on budget and on time. Anyone in this game knows how hard this is to achieve. Some methodologies suit some people and/or programming languages and others just don't suit at all.

We use multiple methodologies here; however our core is the MSF (Microsoft Solutions Framework). Even “out of the box” this framework is far too complicated for the average web design company as it is designed to be utilised by software developers, systems administrators or engineers. However, the basis of this methodology is strong and well supported in the community.

We have taken core elements from the MSF and applied it along with other concepts to create a methodology to develop websites that works for both ourselves and our customers.

Making Real Software

In the past we typically wrote strong and strict functional specification documents that we had to adhere to and this was how we gauged our success. Unfortunately, this made it unrealistic and time and time again we saw software being rushed to meet the document scope and deadlines. Although, we still feel it is VERY important to have a functional specification document, we also believe that we should loosen up on the nitty gritty in these documents and start writing real software.

Long gone are the days of writing software from scratch. People do not have the time or budget to do so; instead we find ourselves “customising” pre written software, like our CMS, Online Store and SharePoint products. The creators of these software solutions have made their products with this in mind and as developers we can really customise any part of these products to suit customer requirements for a lot less cost and in a much faster go to market time than the old school way.

Customers love to see things on screen.  There is nothing worse that attempting to show a customer a concept on paper (written words) or try to explain to them your ideas.  The best way is to show them what we feel this tool can do for their business problem and give them something to look and play with fast. They can then typically find ways around the product and see what customisations they really require, what can be completed in later stages and what can be completed with their current budget.

Below is a flow of how we typically handle a medium sized project.

Firstly, both our sales and development team discuss requirements with the customer and based on what we know about our products and the constraints we provide a “ball park” budget for the project. It is at this point the customer will have an idea on what “built in” features will be suitable and what customisations are required. We then proceed with formal agreements and install a “Vanilla” copy of the product. This has NO customisations and is set up to what we believe is as close to the customers initial requirements.

It is then the customers turn to “play” with the software. Customers love this part. It has only been a matter of weeks and they are using their new software. This is the real part. Real software, no confusing documents - just juicy features! The customers then typically have a bunch of questions and provide these in a report.

Our development team, who by now have a great understanding of the requirements, then provide a more concrete time estimate for customisations and they are documented and called a “Functional Specification”. It is this document that is our blueprint for the project and it is our mission to get the price as close as possible to the ballpark first issued - Assuming the customer has not changed his mind. When the customer decides on what customisations need to be present in the first version the developers get to work. Once completed the customer completes their UAT (User Acceptance Testing) and provides a report. Any changes are made and the site goes live.

As you can see it is not really that hard. The whole methodology is designed to be fair on both parties as well as stop re-invention. Nine times out of ten customers find a way around a problem with existing functionality and this is perfect as it reduces the total cost of the solution.

37 Signals – They are onto it!

A great read is a book from 37 Signals. Pavel, one of our developers here on the Gold Coast put me onto this book and it has changed the way we develop software. Microsoft is even adopting these methodologies in their products to increase the time to market and reduce software development budgets.

You can read more about 37 Signals here - http://gettingreal.37signals.com/
Or the inspiring book at - http://gettingreal.37signals.com/toc.php

I don’t know if you have noticed, but there seems to be a new way we are meant to catch up with friends, share small snippets of information and show off our photos – Social Networking.  I have always said “I can never find the time to do all this sort of stuff. It’s for the younger generation.” Sort of ironic as I type my blog hey...

This got me thinking.... Should we use these sorts of sites or technologies in our business? In the short I think yes, but carefully.

A few of our team members who use these tools asked if they could represent Web Design Magic via these sorts of sites and proceeded to setup portals in the following websites;

http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Burleigh-Australia/Web-Design-Magic-Pty-Ltd/57089734321
http://twitter.com/webdesignmagic

Being a sceptic that I am I was sure no one would be interested. You know what – I was wrong. I think these tools work, but you must ensure that you use them wisely. It is pointless to setup a site and abandon it after a month or two. You need to work on your social network regularly but also not to much to “annoy” people.

You must also moderate these sorts of sites. It is common on blogs to allow your readers to save comments. Probably a good idea to moderate these comments just in case you have enraged some not so friendly web surfer. This brings me to other tools for business that follow the model of social networking websites.

As you may be aware there is a product out there called SharePoint. It is a big part of this company and will be for some time. Really it is a collection of forums, collaboration tools, blogs, image sharing tools and document management tools. Sound familiar? In essence SharePoint is a Social Networking tool for business. If we go home and use these sorts of tools to communicate would it not make sense to do something similar at work? We must remember that a majority of our staff are from the generations where this is the norm to communicate. Instant Messaging, Twitter, Facebook.

So there we go. Have a look at our websites above and start building your own. These tools are good for small business who are NOT time poor and have the resources to set them up. And best of all you can do it yourself.

Here is a list of Social Networking sites and their member counts - Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites

And, yes I did just Twitter our followers and advised them of this post..

D

I have always loved technology. When the first computer came out I had to have one. I remember saving up hundreds of my hard earned dollars (or mum and dads) to purchase a Dick Smith VZ200 and then soon a Vic 20 and then we saw power with the Commodore 64, 128 and so on...

My technology habit now includes a house with a PC in each room, A TV that uses Microsoft Media Centre to drive it and a pocket PC in the corner of the lounge room to check my emails all day and night. I have to ask myself is this healthy? I really feel uncomfortable if I am not “connected” for more than a day!

As a business owner I must say I truly envy my fore fathers. I remember when I got my first job in the late 80’s my boss used to give me 20c to make a phone call to the office once per day if I was out on the road. Now days I receive up to 30 calls or emails day or night. How did they ever do business? - Slower.

You ask any Baby Boomer or older generation person. They simply cannot understand how we have grasped technology and live with it. SMS, Email, iPhones, Pocket Pc’s... Ahhh. It really freaks them out.

“When I was a kid, I remember hitting a round hoop with a long stick... None of these video games, mobile phones that make all the kids lazy...”  We hear it all the time from our folks.

This got me to thinking. Technology is my heroin. I am addicted to it! What can I do about this? Well that’s when I decided I must not be the only person out there who has this same problem so I am going to do something about it. I am going to do an experiment.

Can I survive without technology? If so - how long? What constitutes technology? What will the impact be? Am I the only person addicted?

I plan to answer all these questions and more over the next few months. I have a plan – stay posted.