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Website development prototypes

When you start with a new customer, the motivation levels for both parties are very high. Your client is picturing how great their new website will look. They're thinking about how it will produce more income so they can take a holiday. They love what you've proposed. And they probably think you're a genius.

The bad news is - this is as good as it gets. If you graph the excitement levels throughout a project lifetime, the high point is right now – at the start. Why? Because now, the work needs to be done. And that causes friction. The client is busy with their day-to-day tasks. They expect you to magically read their mind and know exactly what they want, the first time. They expect you to use your web design wand to conjure up changes in seconds.

The customer is rarely right, but you need to let them think they are, within certain boundaries. The first job should have occurred before reaching the point where you start to argue. You need them to agree to the package you presented. For example, you should have specified the number pages, articles, design revisions included and so forth. They need to sign off on this so you don't get stuck with revision after revision. Well, not at least without them paying more.

The biggest problem with web development projects is "scope creep". This is where the client comes up with different ideas after the project has started. Customers don't understand how much work goes into a website, so they often expect these changes to be included as part of the existing project. It's common for a customer to see a finished website and then say "that's not what I meant" or "I've changed my mind." Developers have devised various methods to avoid scope creep including sitemaps and wireframes. But the best solution is to create a "rapid prototype." Even a basic website takes 25 to 50 hours to build. You need to install Joomla, find a template or design your own, create categories, articles, edit images, create menus, configure extensions etc. There's nothing worse than going to al that effort to hear the dreaded "that's not what I meant." So wouldn't it be great for both you and your customers if you could create a comprehensive mock-up before you start? This is achieved by using rapid prototype software. It does mean that you need to spend more time at the start. But this time is well outweighed by the extra time it can take later. Avoiding this issue also means you keep the motivation levels high as the client also gets frustrated if you have to make lots of revisions.

There are a lot of desktop and online prototype applications available. When you're starting you need to keep costs low so I recommend trying HotGloo. There is a very basic free version but it's really only useful to get a feel for the system. The most basic plan is just $7 a month. The idea is to create your pages quickly by dragging page elements such as text boxes and image placeholders onto the workspace. Then you add functionality to elements such as links to other pages. Although you can add design aspects, this can be a distraction, so in this first stage, it's best to just build the functionality.

HotGlooExample of prototype created using HotGloo

Once finished, you can show the prototype to your client and get their approval before you spend the effort building the real thing.

The next step is to look at every piece of content and work out who is responsible to develop that content and give them a deadline.

This solution does not solve ALL problems. But it does dramatically reduce the likelihood of scope creep. Your projects will get done on time and on budget when you add this vital step to your website development process.

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Comments 4

Alex on Thursday, 01 December 2011 19:21

Hey Richard, Nice tip. I dont come from a website dev but I have alot of time behind me doing app engineering for large SW projects and I know the dreaded scope creep phenomenon. Time moves and targets for the client change in time and the time from start to website launch can be long enough for some significant creep. Challenge is to have a clear understandable baseline scope that is rigid enough to ensure that expectations are met at the end without too much damage to reputations.
Fantastic recommendation for this prototyping service. Never knew it existed.
Snag though is for the dev to keep what is in the prototype within realistic boundaries. For newbies to Joomla or anything else, this can be tricky.
Thanks again for the great content and keep up the good work.

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Hey Richard, Nice tip. I dont come from a website dev but I have alot of time behind me doing app engineering for large SW projects and I know the dreaded scope creep phenomenon. Time moves and targets for the client change in time and the time from start to website launch can be long enough for some significant creep. Challenge is to have a clear understandable baseline scope that is rigid enough to ensure that expectations are met at the end without too much damage to reputations. Fantastic recommendation for this prototyping service. Never knew it existed. Snag though is for the dev to keep what is in the prototype within realistic boundaries. For newbies to Joomla or anything else, this can be tricky. Thanks again for the great content and keep up the good work.
Margot on Thursday, 01 December 2011 20:57

Sage advice Richard, and I would like to add some things.

Another method people could employ is itterative development. This takes the position from the outset that as the project takes shape, the customer will have greater insight into what the product can do for them and new ideas will crop up that would be a shame to pass up. Of course this can only work on a time and material contract or a timeboxed fixed price contract.

I think Joomla lends itself fantastically to customer involvement in the implementation process. On top of photography I plan to occasionally keep in touch with my IT roots and set up Joomla sites for small companies. The process I will work with breaks down to:

    Introduce Joomla and extensions, train the customer in content creation. Design the content with the customer Design the template I set up site and template Customer with guidance from me creates content in a half day working session. I fine tune the more complex elements. Hand over to someone else for maintenance.

0
Sage advice Richard, and I would like to add some things. Another method people could employ is itterative development. This takes the position from the outset that as the project takes shape, the customer will have greater insight into what the product can do for them and new ideas will crop up that would be a shame to pass up. Of course this can only work on a time and material contract or a timeboxed fixed price contract. I think Joomla lends itself fantastically to customer involvement in the implementation process. On top of photography I plan to occasionally keep in touch with my IT roots and set up Joomla sites for small companies. The process I will work with breaks down to: [list] Introduce Joomla and extensions, train the customer in content creation. Design the content with the customer Design the template I set up site and template Customer with guidance from me creates content in a half day working session. I fine tune the more complex elements. Hand over to someone else for maintenance. [/list]
Michael Sharp on Friday, 02 December 2011 06:05

Great advice Richard.

Let me add one that almost eliminates "scope creep" for me:

They sign a 16-24 page (depending on the client) contract, that is very detailed and the scope of the project is well defined. It has project description, delivery dates, schedules, my resposibilities and their responsibilities, what's included and what's not, payment schedule. Anything outside that is at my discretion, and if they get too demanding, under the terms it is a chargeable item--which I let them off the first change. It works for me anyway. Maybe my projects are still small, but they still get a 24 page

Making up a mock site is a nice idea--may try that.

Keep up the great work. Only hope I can find the time to do your next course :-) since the skills I learned form you have kept me so busy.

Joomla4Ever!

0
Great advice Richard. Let me add one that almost eliminates "scope creep" for me: They sign a 16-24 page (depending on the client) contract, that is very detailed and the scope of the project is well defined. It has project description, delivery dates, schedules, my resposibilities and their responsibilities, what's included and what's not, payment schedule. Anything outside that is at my discretion, and if they get too demanding, under the terms it is a chargeable item--which I let them off the first change. It works for me anyway. Maybe my projects are still small, but they still get a 24 page Making up a mock site is a nice idea--may try that. Keep up the great work. Only hope I can find the time to do your next course :-) since the skills I learned form you have kept me so busy. Joomla4Ever!
Richard Przybek on Friday, 02 December 2011 23:01

Having been in software development for many years we have a saying "The customer doesn't know what he wants until you give it him, and then he knows that's not what he wanted."

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Having been in software development for many years we have a saying "The customer doesn't know what he wants until you give it him, and then he knows that's not what he wanted."

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