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"Both are based on illusion and misdirection, making us believe something which is not real and doesn't actually exist," he says.
Not sure how seriously I take this, but I must admit that I like his tagline of:
"Keep it useful, keep it swift and then add showmanship"
1. Graphic Designers - you are not little gods. If you don't understand the medium you are designing for, then listen to those who do. No, you MAY NOT drive the web development process.
2. IT folks and page builders - you don't realize how complex your minds have become, compared to the general population. Preented as-is to visitors (people and spiders) your crafty little scripts and interfaces will have a large percentage diving for the Back Button -- or, if people really need the information, they'll be cussing you like a truck driver who was just cut off.
DO USER TESTING, early and often. You cannot guess what the ordinary visitor will think about your pages.
3. Marketing Dept -- the web is not print and it's not broadcast. If you don't understand the differences, then learn. It will help you to be effective, honest.
It's the project manager's place (and I feel the project manager should have SEO and IA skills as well as project management) to bring all the elements together with the "illusion" of simplicity and ease. Too many web developments stop the minute they work at all. "Re-factoring" a development takes time, but it's time well spent.
And finally:
4. Business owners -- remember this sound advice: surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and then let them do their job. Your input is important and useful, but not your meddling. Let your team make magic for you.
But what happens if you are the graphic designer, page builder, marketing department and project manager?
How can you live with yourself?
It's a strange feeling, but yes, you could be the designer in one project and the marketing or tech guy in another. Just stick to your strengths AS THEY RELATE TO THE JOB AT HAND. And learn not only to put hats on, but also discard them to lighten the weight on your head.
And now I'll shut up before I burst into song, it's late and I'm sleep deprived.
SN
The problem is that many site owners want the flash, bang and pop in their interfaces.... The challenge is persuading them that an accessible site is also and SE friendly site, and that a usable site will translate into far more sales than a site with a Flash intro and lots of animation.
I'd also add to Tedsters fantastic breakdown, specifically the Project Managers role. The Project Manager should be the buffer between Senior Management/Site Owner and the development team. If things go wrong he/she should take the heat and let the team concentrate on getting the job done. Too often I see PM's that are more than happy to let the blame fall onto the development/design team.
Also, too often I see too much interaction between team and client. A little is a good thing, especially at the requirements gathering phase. But once development has begun the team should be allowed to do their job. The Project Manager should run the ongoing risk analysis and change control processes during development and interface with the client during this phase.
SN
Graphic Designers - you are not little gods. If you don't understand the medium you are designing for, then listen to those who do. No, you MAY NOT drive the web development process.
ROFLMAO! ;):)
Seriously, that's sooooo spot on. I once worked for a graphics firm to put there 'web designs' into reality. Sheesh! What a nightmare...
After the second or third job I told them to find someone else. Why is it that these people who have NEVER built a website are suddenly experts in building websites?
I did suggest that getting the client to approve a design *before* it was run past me was a bad idea but, would they listen? - Work magic, yes. Work the impossible, no.
Nick
4. Business owners -- remember this sound advice: surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and then let them do their job. Your input is important and useful, but not your meddling. Let your team make magic for you.
Should be:
4. Business owners -- remember this sound advice: surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and then let them do their job. Your input is financially important, but other than that is usually not very useful, so hand over the cash and tell the webmaster(s) to talk to your staff who understand how the business works (not how the you THINK it works). Then let your two teams make magic for you.
Or it could even be:
4. Business owners -- hand over the cash. It will make more money for you than you spend. Take a holiday and relax.
