http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Design/Project-Management A listing of the most recently indexed works about Design and Project Management in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Design/Project-Management http://tc.eserver.org/35631.html http://tc.eserver.org/35631.html Websites are generally designed by dogs. There’s a lot of optimism. The dogs look at the website and think of it as an endless attic. No matter how much stuff you into it, there’s always room for more. The dogs approach each design step with a ‘have gigabytes, must fill’ enthusiasm. And then cats have to manage the website. The dogs let everyone publish and the cats are certainly not going to review all this stuff. The dogs created an architecture where everyone can find everything and now nobody can find anything. The cats shake their heads. http://tc.eserver.org/35609.html http://tc.eserver.org/35609.html Our plan was to market Project Dragonfly virally. Going out now meant that we were a little early and many details were still on the to-do list. As a user centered design practitioner working with an Agile Development process, I was comfortable working in an iterative manner to engage users quickly so that we think through details and bring solutions forward. Yet something about this situation seemed different to me. We wanted the world to broadcast about the benefits of Project Dragonfly while our marketing efforts simply facilitated the conversation. http://tc.eserver.org/35231.html http://tc.eserver.org/35231.html It’s happened to all of us. We walk into what we think is a Web redesign project, only to find we have unwittingly ignited the fires of WW III in our client’s organization. What begins as a simple design project descends – quickly – into an intra-organizational battle, with the unprepared interaction designer caught in the crossfire. What is it about design projects that seem to attract such power struggles? Contrary to what you might think, being stuck in the middle of an internecine battle is actually an opportunity to effect meaningful change on your client’s organization. But it requires a set of practical tools to negotiate these battles and a more sophisticated language and knowledge to exploit these events to create meaningful change. http://tc.eserver.org/35193.html http://tc.eserver.org/35193.html Dealing with information overload can be a huge stressor in life. Not only trying to keep up with the constant deluge of information that comes at you daily, but also managing that information in an organized way — so that you can find and implement it — can put your sanity in question. In this podcast, I talk with Ricardo Amigo, a translator in Costa Rica, about different ways to manage information overload. http://tc.eserver.org/35177.html http://tc.eserver.org/35177.html There’s often an unsettling discrepancy between the stakeholder approved wireframes and visual comps and the actual product in production. What you see in those environments is sometimes a far cry from those polished wireframes and those shiny, pixel-perfect visualizations that were filled with placeholder content (such as lorem ipsum text, dummy copy, and image blocks). What you’re seeing in production environments now holds the real content. The imagery doesn’t support the interactions, is meaningless, useless, or worse, contradictory to the design intent. The copy, headers, and labels are unclear, too long, too short, or simply irrelevant. What happened? http://tc.eserver.org/34458.html http://tc.eserver.org/34458.html User centred design can be a useful and speedy way of increasing efficiency and hence reducing costs. More often that not, design is seen as a way of increasing sales, attracting eyeballs or retaining customers. However at Frontend we've noticed that some of our most successful projects concentrate on cost-reduction and business efficiency. Here's a few ways we've used user centred design to help our clients save money. http://tc.eserver.org/34234.html http://tc.eserver.org/34234.html A common activity at the outset of many design projects is a competitive review. As a designer, when you encounter a design problem, it’s a natural instinct to try to understand what others are doing to solve the same or similar problems. However, like other design-related activities, if you start a competitive review without a clear purpose and strategy for the activity, doing the review may not be productive. http://tc.eserver.org/33978.html http://tc.eserver.org/33978.html Three panellists talk about the challenges of managing an XML publishing and documentation project. After brief introductory remarks from each speaker, there will be a general discussion with the audience about the challenges of XML project management in the publishing world. http://tc.eserver.org/33640.html http://tc.eserver.org/33640.html Agile is here to stay. The economic difficulties of the past months have finally put waterfall out of its misery; now more than ever, long requirements phases and vaporous up-front documentation aren’t acceptable. Software must be visible and valuable from the start. For many designers, Agile is already a fact of life (and for those less accustomed, some recommended reading follows at the foot of this article). We are reaching the point where we must either acclimatize or risk being bypassed. The good news is that Agile does allow us to still do the things we hold dear—research, develop a vision, and test and improve our designs—we just need new techniques. Now is the time to get real, and prove design can adapt, if we want to stay relevant in these increasingly unreal times. http://tc.eserver.org/33490.html http://tc.eserver.org/33490.html Nearly every company I’ve worked with since becoming a web professional six years ago has lacked an efficient way to decide which things to do first. Put 10 people into a room for an hour, and they’ll surely come up with a wish list a mile long. http://tc.eserver.org/33342.html http://tc.eserver.org/33342.html Most clients are good clients, and some clients are great clients. But some jobs are just never going to work out well. Herewith, a few indicators that a project may be headed to the toilet. http://tc.eserver.org/33364.html http://tc.eserver.org/33364.html A critical component to the success of an interaction design project is close collaboration with clients or stakeholders. Without careful planning and structure this type of collaboration can turn into a significant barrier to project success. Dave Cronin's article, originally presented at the DUX 2005 design conference, discusses the strategies and methods Cooper has adopted to get maximum benefit as a consultancy from clients' feedback and expertise while maintaining creative momentum and achieving deadlines. http://tc.eserver.org/33279.html http://tc.eserver.org/33279.html Websites change the way an organization communicates with its staff, customers, investors and general public. A change in communication is a major shift for the organization. To effectively implement such a change will take time. You need a five-year plan for your website. http://tc.eserver.org/33213.html http://tc.eserver.org/33213.html The way to overcome the pressure of a new design is by breaking the process into smaller parts, and defining a step by step strategy that allows you to address each issue of the design separately rather than as a daunting whole. Instead of one monolithic problem, you have lots of small, more manageable problems. Breaking each problem out will also help you arrive at better design results as you will have given close consideration to all aspects of the problem. http://tc.eserver.org/33162.html http://tc.eserver.org/33162.html Well-managed websites tend to be those that are narrow in their focus. They do a few things really well rather than attempt to do lots and lots of things. http://tc.eserver.org/33058.html http://tc.eserver.org/33058.html When developing intranet releases, intranet teams often find themselves very constrained by both time and resources. The challenge then becomes delivering sufficient content and capabilities to meet business and user expectations, within the project constraints. This briefing introduces a simple approach to scoping a release that takes all of these factors into account. http://tc.eserver.org/32997.html http://tc.eserver.org/32997.html eXtreme Programming and other agile processes provide a middle ground between chaos and over-elaborate processes sometimes referred to as 'death by documentation'. A particular attrtactive aspect of the agile approach for many teams is its willingness to accomodate change no matter how advanced development might be. However, this very flexibility can cause user interface design issues and ensuing usability problems. Adopting a user-centered approach to user interface design can address these issues, as the following simulated conversation between a user-centered design consultant and an XP team leader will explain. http://tc.eserver.org/32879.html http://tc.eserver.org/32879.html The inaccessibility of web content can have a significant impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities. Many people without disabilities are ignorant of the importance of the issue to those who are directly affected. They are also often ignorant of the tremendous benefit that accessible web content can be. Accessible web sites offer independence to individuals with disabilities that would otherwise not have it. http://tc.eserver.org/32923.html http://tc.eserver.org/32923.html In design, our resources are limited. Priorities become a necessity. We need to ensure we are working on the most important parts of the problem. How do we assess what is most important? http://tc.eserver.org/32724.html http://tc.eserver.org/32724.html As a designer, do you know where your work really fits in the process of design? If Web design is your business, then you must make certain you are in the right mindset and you use the right process when it comes to your work. You don't want your designs to fail, but, unfortunately, there is a strong chance that they will do exactly that. Lets take a step back for a minute and define what a failing design is, and why it fails. http://tc.eserver.org/32237.html http://tc.eserver.org/32237.html Seeing the same thing from different perspectives is much praised but little practiced. We don’t often realize what we can gain by seeing another scene in the picture. http://tc.eserver.org/32243.html http://tc.eserver.org/32243.html From a software development viewpoint, model-driven architecture (MDA) encourages efficient use of system models. It also encourages reusing best practices as families of systems are produced. One of the main aims of MDA is to separate design from architecture, which places the business analyst in a unique and potentially powerful position within the organization. Learn how you as a business analyst can take an active role in this type of architecture. http://tc.eserver.org/32053.html http://tc.eserver.org/32053.html As a freelance web developer, time is money. I use many different tricks to increase my productivity and these are my top selections for saving time. http://tc.eserver.org/31745.html http://tc.eserver.org/31745.html Is the sheer possession of a PMP intended to be the Holy Grail of successful web projects, known to fail at a startling rate, or simply a way to divorce oneself from whatever outcome may result from the web project? http://tc.eserver.org/31508.html http://tc.eserver.org/31508.html We urgently need a quick crash course on web site management; otherwise, connecting with potential customers will become a very tough challenge. Lucky are those who have a unique domain name without the additional baggage of extraneous language, numbers, dashes or slashes. Studies have shown that 90 percent of business names are problematic. These problems are serious issues for achieving higher visibility. http://tc.eserver.org/31507.html http://tc.eserver.org/31507.html Processes evolve. Over time and several redesigns, a few points screamed to be kept in mind: communicate with the client, be scalable, plan to plan, test your assumptions, analyze your current site, and so on. We ran these mini-philosophies by industry leaders and newbies alike. The result? Our collection of things to think about evolved into—drum roll, please—10 EXPERT TIPS TO A SUCCESSFUL REDESIGN. Redesign is happening. Address the need. And stay on track while you do it. http://tc.eserver.org/30442.html http://tc.eserver.org/30442.html Featuritis or creeping featurism is the tendency for the number of features in a product (usually software product) to rise with each release of the product. What may have been a cohesive and consistent design in the early versions may end up as a patchwork of added features. And with extra features comes extra complexity. http://tc.eserver.org/30441.html http://tc.eserver.org/30441.html How can you convince others that Web investments are a wise decision in a slow economy? http://tc.eserver.org/30166.html http://tc.eserver.org/30166.html Web page projects can be completed in minimal time if you have your team's buy-in. You need a team leader that finds creative ways to energize the team and has excellent organizational and communication skills. Standards, spreadsheets, and databases, and a knowledgeable technical and creative group provide essential tools to success. But, enthusiasm and synergy are the key components that make the project work, with upper management behind you all the way. Completion of the project finds excellent bonuses for a job well done! http://tc.eserver.org/29913.html http://tc.eserver.org/29913.html Information models are a critical component of single sourcing, enterprise content management, and dynamic content management. The information model is your blueprint for the effective writing, structuring, and delivery of reusable content. This session explains how to design information models, including information product models and element models. It also explains the role of metadata and how to effectively design it. http://tc.eserver.org/29434.html http://tc.eserver.org/29434.html Acting without planning can be expensive, and because of the potential cost of poorly thought-out actions, we should not only plan, but plan twice. http://tc.eserver.org/29280.html http://tc.eserver.org/29280.html By crossing the characterizing facets with constraints, you are combining the subjective needs of the project stakeholders with the objective constraints of the project in a way that ensures all points of view are fairly considered. It also ensures that a project requirement is not included or excluded simply because one person yelled louder than the others. http://tc.eserver.org/28917.html http://tc.eserver.org/28917.html Creating a User Experience (UX) process can be a very rewarding journey; it can also be a nightmare if approached from the wrong angle. Initiating a culture-shift, overhauling existing processes, evangelizing, strategizing, and educating is an enormous undertaking. Often it's a lonely path the UX advocate walks, especially if you are the only one who is driving that change from within the company. But that path is ripe with opportunities to improve your company's product creation process, as well as the product itself. http://tc.eserver.org/28929.html http://tc.eserver.org/28929.html In part one, Michael shared how to navigate company politics to set up great stakeholder interviews. Here he covers his five tips for navigating company politics, avoiding client bias, and eliciting the information you need to inform your design. http://tc.eserver.org/28919.html http://tc.eserver.org/28919.html Bill Wetherell talks with Tom Wailes about how one team at Yahoo! turned the normal design process on its head. Their thoughtful approach was successful, Wails posits, because they worked small and crafty while being inclusive in most useful ways. http://tc.eserver.org/28938.html http://tc.eserver.org/28938.html Is there a smart and graceful way to transition into a product manager role? Chris Baum and Jeff Lash talk about the differences between product management and design and increasing your influence. http://tc.eserver.org/28939.html http://tc.eserver.org/28939.html What will you need to leave behind to enter the wine-and-roses world of Product Management? In Part 2 of this series, Jeff Lash and Chris Baum give us a preview of what's in store for your new role and give us tips on how to prepare. http://tc.eserver.org/28912.html http://tc.eserver.org/28912.html Making the case for user-centered design (UCD) is a topic of recurring discussion for UX professionals. Much of the discussion has centered on strictly objective approaches such as cost-benefit or return-on-investment (ROI) analysis. However, recent commentary suggests proving ROI is not always enough. http://tc.eserver.org/28898.html http://tc.eserver.org/28898.html You are the lead designer--or perhaps even the sole designer on a product team. You have just completed your product design, and it's time to walk through your design approach with the project stakeholders, including management, developers, and users. What do you need to do to prepare for your presentation? This article provides some basic tips to help you better prepare to walk through your product designs with stakeholders. http://tc.eserver.org/28645.html http://tc.eserver.org/28645.html Sizing UCD projects presents special challenges to usability practitioners and consultants. Each project and UCD methodology comes with its own set of variables that makes it difficult to accurately estimate resource requirements and completion times. http://tc.eserver.org/28551.html http://tc.eserver.org/28551.html This article presents three problems with existing information architecture frameworks. First, they are too focused on organizing information based on topic. Second, they treat facets as a supplemental form of classification. Third, they conflate the organization and representation of information. Analysis of these three problems suggests that information architects should provide navigation systems and user interfaces'based on an underlying framework of faceted classification'that allow users to flexibly navigate through complex information spaces in the service of particular tasks and goals. To this end, this article introduces a faceted classification framework, and provides an example of a model framework, called 'Facets are Fundamental' (FaF). The purpose of the FaF framework is to explicitly designate faceted classification (rather than a hierarchical classification) as the starting point of the IA development process. Both of these approaches encourage information architects to employ non-topical methods for organizing and representing information. http://tc.eserver.org/28405.html http://tc.eserver.org/28405.html 'Design' encompasses a very wide spectrum of disciplines and applications, which address an enormous range of different problems. When designing a product, the techniques and priorities a designer should use change according to its purpose. http://tc.eserver.org/28410.html http://tc.eserver.org/28410.html The single most difficult and important skill for a web designer is: Remembering what you're doing. It is incredibly easy to get bogged down on the surface level of design, pushing boxes and buttons this way and that around the page until it appears to have perfect visual balance. This is: A Complete Waste of Time. Before looking at how to design on screen, let's consider how to think like a successful designer. To be most successful, you've got to know what you're trying to achieve, and take the most direct path to achieve it. http://tc.eserver.org/28411.html http://tc.eserver.org/28411.html As a general rule, designers and developers should avoid trying to be clever, and should concentrate on working smart. http://tc.eserver.org/28359.html http://tc.eserver.org/28359.html It's true: even simple projects get messy. Christina Wodtke comes clean on Swiss Army knives, the writing on the wall, and the untidy glory of the Boxes and Arrows redesign contest. http://tc.eserver.org/28322.html http://tc.eserver.org/28322.html Better planning and a beefed-up style guide may be exactly what you need to avoid markup derangement or, worse, a dysfunctional product. http://tc.eserver.org/27856.html http://tc.eserver.org/27856.html Just how many people does it take to properly manage a website? It depends on the website. Shane Diffily explains how to figure it out. http://tc.eserver.org/27637.html http://tc.eserver.org/27637.html As a client or manager responsible for a web development project you don't need to know anything about how a standards based web site is created. However you do need to know that your project is addressing these five important issues. http://tc.eserver.org/27289.html http://tc.eserver.org/27289.html In this paper, the idea of building a project-oriented information system based upon a specialized information database was discussed. It attempts to provide tools for helping researchers use Internet resources effectively in the course of their research. Based on this idea, a web-based project-oriented information system was constructed. The paper systematically expounds the design and development process of the project-oriented information system. Furthermore, examples of utilizing the project-oriented information system to obtain useful information and suggestions for specific projects were described. According to our discussion and utilization of the system, we believe that building a project-oriented information system can help researchers with their research projects. http://tc.eserver.org/27180.html http://tc.eserver.org/27180.html 随着数字产品产量的激增，包括了电脑、桌面应用程序、基于网络的应用程序，另外还有移动及嵌入式装置等等，用户对这些产品的用户体验(UX – User Experience)的质量决定了它们的成功与否。想要对非技术性的用户打造一个具有生命力，娱乐性及商业性的应用程序，一个简单易用的界面更是必不可少的。 http://tc.eserver.org/27179.html http://tc.eserver.org/27179.html With the proliferation of digital products, including computers, desktop and Web-based applications, and mobile and embedded devices, the quality of the user experience (UX) has become one of the key determinants in the success of competing products. Productivity, entertainment, and business-application programs for non-technical users in particular must have 'intuitive' interfaces. http://tc.eserver.org/26927.html http://tc.eserver.org/26927.html This describes the role that I played as program manager for IE5.0, and the basic process we used (the essay is derived from an old post to chiweb). It's a good anecdote as to how one team managed the cross discipline work of design and usability, with the engineering and development process. http://tc.eserver.org/26662.html http://tc.eserver.org/26662.html When discussing strategies for sizing UCD projects with consultants, it quickly becomes evident that there seem to be as many strategies as there are consultants. This document will define and describe commonly used strategies, identify each strategy’s scope (i.e., whether it applies to design, research, or evaluation), suggest situations in which each strategy would be best suited, and identify pros, cons, and caveats to its use. http://tc.eserver.org/26651.html http://tc.eserver.org/26651.html Sizing UCD projects presents special challenges to usability practitioners and consultants. Each project and UCD methodology comes with its own set of variables that makes it difficult to accurately estimate resource requirements and completion times. The goal of this effort is to discover best practices for effectively âï¿ï¿sizingâï¿ï¿ UCD projects. http://tc.eserver.org/26073.html http://tc.eserver.org/26073.html The best designs and the best intentions won't always lead you to success, because the problem goes beyond your product and beyond your design or development process. Building better, more innovative, and more profitable products requires organizational change on a deep and difficult level. http://tc.eserver.org/26075.html http://tc.eserver.org/26075.html People often ask how interaction designers should fit into their companies. If the company cannot take good advantage of it, the most brilliant interaction design in the world won't help as much as simple, workmanlike interaction design will benefit a company that uses that design well. http://tc.eserver.org/25257.html http://tc.eserver.org/25257.html The use-case model can be a powerful tool for controlling scope throughout a project's life cycle. Because a simplified use-case model can be understood by all project participants, it can also serve as a framework for ongoing collaboration and a visual map of all agreed-upon functionality. Use it to plan, to negotiate, and to prevent scope creep. http://tc.eserver.org/25261.html http://tc.eserver.org/25261.html One of the biggest problems in creating and delivering a site is how to decide, specify, and communicate exactly what we’re building and why. Use cases can help answer these questions by providing a simple, fast means to decide and describe the purpose of your project. In this quick-reading article, Messieurs Carr and Meehan introduce use cases and their, uh, uses. http://tc.eserver.org/25153.html http://tc.eserver.org/25153.html The pitfalls of using a graphic designer that is not experienced can have financial and emotional consequences. Designers must understand what software program to use for the task at hand. A designer that is not experienced can cost the customer time, money and unnecessary stress. http://tc.eserver.org/24636.html http://tc.eserver.org/24636.html True Web site redesigns focus on much more than visuals. Brink and Regenold's redesign process will help technical communicators rethink a site from the ground up. http://tc.eserver.org/23993.html http://tc.eserver.org/23993.html By anticipating failures, and designing backup plans, you can minimize the impact of unexpected problems on the user. http://tc.eserver.org/23987.html http://tc.eserver.org/23987.html When creating software and digital products, innovation typically spans many months, and it can become disrupted by unobservable or frequently changing business conditions that make it extremely difficult to form and evaluate viable options. When people can't see where they're going, they typically just stop. This is tragic with respect to innovation, since it is innovation that propels business and society forward. http://tc.eserver.org/23970.html http://tc.eserver.org/23970.html Over the last two years, we've heard from increasing numbers of executives who want to bring interaction design in-house because they've realized how critical it is to product success. There are plenty of challenges involved in doing this, including hiring and training the right people. One of the challenges companies may not expect, though, is in deciding how to use those resources once they've been found. http://tc.eserver.org/23988.html http://tc.eserver.org/23988.html During recessions, uncertainty prevails, and like a driver trying to weave his way along a mountain road in heavy fog, many businesspeople eventually tire and just pull their businesses over to what seems like a safe embankment, turn off their engines of innovation and progress, and wait for the fog to lift. But how long can one afford to sit on the roadside? At what point does it become riskier to do nothing than to proceed with caution? One has to wonder if there's a better way, a way to keep moving forward in measured, confident increments, rather than eventually creating an additional element of uncertainty by deferring innovation altogether. http://tc.eserver.org/23975.html http://tc.eserver.org/23975.html Let's say your development organization has embraced design as a key to creating successful products. You've devoted time and energy to creating the perfect, goal-directed design for your product. Your programmers are ready and eager to start putting that design into code. So…now what? How do you communicate your design to your development team, accurately and in sufficient detail? One approach is to produce a Form & Behavior Specification. http://tc.eserver.org/23979.html http://tc.eserver.org/23979.html The more complex your product is, the harder it will be to use. And the harder your product is to use, the more your customers will rely on your technical support department, which tends to increase your costs and decrease your customers' overall satisfaction with the product. The good news is that one of the most simple and effective ways to reduce complexity is to cut unnecessary features from your product. But how do you know which features to cut? http://tc.eserver.org/23991.html http://tc.eserver.org/23991.html We continue to see companies falling into the same product development traps, to the detriment of their products, their customers, and their business. http://tc.eserver.org/23978.html http://tc.eserver.org/23978.html How do you get from understanding your users to a vision for an innovative product which will appeal to them? http://tc.eserver.org/23622.html http://tc.eserver.org/23622.html This paper identifies challenges for obtaining managerial buy-in for a user-centered design process using performance tasks. Initially, it presents lessons learned from a case study. Next, it provides strategies (leadership, persuasion, organizational conflict, active listening, and teamwork) for obtaining buy-in from work team and their constituencies. Last, it concludes with recommendations for obtaining buy-in from managers. http://tc.eserver.org/23511.html http://tc.eserver.org/23511.html Does a gap between those considered creative types and those considered technical types really exist, or is it just a perception we've fostered? http://tc.eserver.org/23517.html http://tc.eserver.org/23517.html Lean UI development in Feature Driven Development is achieved through right-first-time implementation of the interaction designer's intent using David Harel's Statechart notation to model the interaction design. http://tc.eserver.org/22970.html http://tc.eserver.org/22970.html Sometimes you don't have the time to sit down and plan out the ideal Web site. Maybe you've just recently been appointed as your organization's webmaster, or have recently been assigned to oversee accessibility operations at your organization, and you discover that your Web site has gaping holes in its accessibility. Rather than panic, you should start with the biggest problems and work your way through the site until you have fixed all of the accessibility errors. After you've 'plugged the holes,' then you can start thinking about a new design, but not until then. This workshop presents a 'fast track to accessibility' that prioritizes your tasks of sorting through and fixing your site's accessibility problems. http://tc.eserver.org/22568.html http://tc.eserver.org/22568.html In Europe and the US, Computer to Plate (CtP) seems to be a fast growing market. In some areas of the print market the majority of printers have already made the transition from traditional plate techniques to CtP. The reason why is easy to see: CtP gives almost instant colour register on the press, and there is no need to worry about stopping the press for removal of dust marks and scratches that sometimes would plague traditional film. http://tc.eserver.org/22152.html http://tc.eserver.org/22152.html The information model is a framework for organizing all the information people need. http://tc.eserver.org/22082.html http://tc.eserver.org/22082.html The intranet team often becomes viewed as a gatekeeper or bottleneck that does little more than say 'no' to business units. The business then reacts by rebelling against this centralised control, or simply working around the intranet team. There is a better way. Intranet teams should instead look to playing a leadership and coaching role in the organisation. These two approaches provide a range of techniques for encouraging organisational change and supporting staff activities. http://tc.eserver.org/22044.html http://tc.eserver.org/22044.html Generating a site plan is an optimal approach to starting your site. http://tc.eserver.org/21770.html http://tc.eserver.org/21770.html A template for providing historical information, available industry research, initial scope, a rough schedule, and implementation plans for the proposed project. It should outline business objectives of the project. It is to be completed by the project requestor – usually a business stakeholder. http://tc.eserver.org/21751.html http://tc.eserver.org/21751.html When resources are limited, the design must be optimized to make the best use of all resources. To account for this complexity, it is important to have a clear understanding of both sides of the design equation—what you have to work with and what you are trying to build. http://tc.eserver.org/21735.html http://tc.eserver.org/21735.html Being an information architect can be stressful. There are certain points in the design process that are more stress-inducing than others. http://tc.eserver.org/21750.html http://tc.eserver.org/21750.html Within most corporations, taking ownership of an intranet is an unglamorous, exhausting, and thankless job for a new intranet manager. But if approached with the same rigor, discipline, and focus as any other business initiative, the task can quickly become much simpler. http://tc.eserver.org/21738.html http://tc.eserver.org/21738.html Diagrams are an essential tool for communicating information architecture and interaction design in Web development teams. This document discusses the considerations in development of such diagrams, outlines a basic symbology for diagramming information architecture and interaction design concepts, and provides guidelines for the use of these elements. http://tc.eserver.org/21727.html http://tc.eserver.org/21727.html First came the primordial soup. Thousands of relatively simple single-celled web sites appeared on the scene, and each one was quickly claimed by a multi-functional organism called a "webmaster." A symbiotic relationship quickly became apparent. Webmaster fed web site. Web site got bigger and more important. So did the role of the webmaster. Life was good. Then, bad things started to happen. The size and complexity and importance of the web sites began to spiral out of control. Mutations started cropping up. Strange new organisms with names like interaction designer, usability engineer, customer experience analyst, and information architect began competing with the webmaster and each other for responsibilities and rewards. Equilibrium had been punctuated and we entered the current era of rapid speciation and specialization. http://tc.eserver.org/21557.html http://tc.eserver.org/21557.html Managing a Web site project typically does not follow any clearly defined methods or standards of practice. Although there is a lot of 'how to build a site' information out there, very little on how to manage a Web project actually exists. But a project site could be just the answer you are looking for. http://tc.eserver.org/21565.html http://tc.eserver.org/21565.html A prototype, both paper and online (and I suggest you build both) is a 'mini' Web site, including content (or content ideas), graphics, multi-media etc., on a smaller scale than the final site. I have found that developing a prototype is a great way to present your ideas to upper management for approval to go 'live.' Also, and more important, an online prototype is an ideal application for user testing to ensure your site's success. http://tc.eserver.org/21394.html http://tc.eserver.org/21394.html Design is driven by many considerations. But on each project I've worked on, there seems to be a consistent center — a driver that determines priorities, direction, and the metrics used to measure success. http://tc.eserver.org/21287.html http://tc.eserver.org/21287.html By doing the demanding intellectual work first and then forcing the tools to succumb to need to produce seemingly speedy deliverables, you can get around the difficulty of choosing between 'Good, Fast and Cheap.' Here's one approach using Excel and Visio. http://tc.eserver.org/21206.html http://tc.eserver.org/21206.html Whether you're managing an entire army or an army of one, Pam's project management tips will help you get that site built. http://tc.eserver.org/19801.html http://tc.eserver.org/19801.html Multimedia is an exciting new technology that gives technical communicators a broad range of tools for designing information. Considerations such as: content and organization, style, installation and distribution, legal issues, and cultural issues bring new challenges for technical communicators. By following a four step process of brainstorming, reviewing technical source material, preparing an information map, and developing storyboards, technical communicators can take on the opportunities that multimedia creates. http://tc.eserver.org/18675.html http://tc.eserver.org/18675.html Designs must be realized to change the world. How does project management intersect with the challenges of design? How can a manager enable great designs to reach the customer? http://tc.eserver.org/18671.html http://tc.eserver.org/18671.html This describes the role that I played as program manager for IE5.0, and the basic process we used. It's a good anecdote as to how one team managed the cross discipline work of design and usability, with the engineering and development process. http://tc.eserver.org/15165.html http://tc.eserver.org/15165.html Describes a process for designing documents that establishes clear goals and minimizes disagreements. http://tc.eserver.org/13763.html http://tc.eserver.org/13763.html Web developers are a tough lot, willing to brave constantly changing technologies, competing “standards,” and tools that are often clumsy and dull. Yet brave as we are, two little words strike fear in the hearts of even the boldest of us, making us consider a change to a less stressful job-air traffic control, perhaps. Scope creep threatens to undermine all our hard work, causing rewrite after rewrite of carefully crafted markup and code. In short, scope creep is evil. That’s the prevailing wisdom. But consider the results of four studies done over the last five years that show that as little as 20% of corporate software projects are successful. Prevailing, it may be, but is it wisdom? http://tc.eserver.org/13571.html http://tc.eserver.org/13571.html Have you ever worked on a truly awful writing project? Maybe you're working on one right now. Too often, what could be a simple project becomes a morass of shifting requirements, last-minute changes, and expanding scope. In almost one-hundred percent of such cases, however, a well-run writing project can negotiate the most challenging terrain.