Web Team

how many people do you need.

[fashezee]

I would like to know everyone's opinion concerning the following; listed below are the major tasks that I
believe are required to successfully obtain and complete a web project (lets assume all the tasks below
are required):

> sales - getting the contract
> site architecture
> design - look and feel of the site
> design intergration - page layout/cutting up images
> functionality intergration - rollovers/validation etc...
> programming - writing/update/deleting to/from database etc...
> database - creating/normalizing/maintaining the DB
> web site advertising
> web site positioning

I may be missing a few tasks, but my question is: how many people would you have doing the above
mention tasks?

[olwen]

One seems pretty right to me.

[deejay]

You missed a biggie... CONTENT

If I had to have two people, I'd have one person doing everything else and one person on content alone.

Of course.. I'm stuck with just one person.. still, I can dream

[Vanessa]

In an ideal world:

Bus dev manager (pref. one with production experience)

Analyst/information architect: to spec out your site -this person should definitely have technical experience, and a good understanding of usability/acessibility issues

Creative/Design person (pref one with good understanding of web concepts/html experience)

Front end developer/Back end developer - this may be one person or several people working v closely together

Project manager to look after deadlines, budget scheduling, client relationships etc and to ensure all stages of project flow - if they have marketing knowledge than they can look after marketing the site, otherwise you may need someone else.

* Plus writer/content person!

[Purple Martin]

It's almost impossible for one person to be great at graphic design and great at programming. Not only are there too few hours in the day to become doubly expert, but different types of people are required. I know there are a handful of talented people who can do both well, but they're very rare (and very expensive).

Therefore you need two people for your project: one creative (for design, content, marketing etc) and one technical (for programming, database, SEO etc).

[Mardi_Gras]

Purple Martin - based on a previous thread on this topic, I think we are in the minority here, but I could not agree more about different people for coding and designing.

Ideally:

Project Manager
Writer
Designer
Coder

We're a small shop, and the Project Manager and writer is usually me. But I think I would turn out a better product if I could separate those functions more often.

More and more, someone who knows back end stuff (database, PHP, etc.) is becoming more and more valuable. My code guy is good, and he's learning fast, but it is hard for one person to know everything.

[rewboss]

It probably depends on the scale of your projects. A ten-page static site for Bloggs and Son Cuckoo Clock Shop is not going to be as labour-intensive as Amazon.com. A two-man (er, two-person) outfit can produce lots of high-quality small-scale sites, but will have to take on more staff if a big project comes their way.

[Rolly the Tester]

Depending on how big the site you would need a team of testers. You could use just one, but you need someone to make sure that what is being but online works for all your users.

Rolly

[colorspots]

my personal experience 4

visionary/CEO company leader usually a jack of all of the below trade knows the business and knows where and how to get there.

Sales - make sure he is a proven salesman Customer interaction professional.

HTML/CONTENT/FRONT & Back END programmer the rational, right brained type

Graphics/Flash/Layout/Look and feel The artist left brain creative type.

Example one of my former employers - 6 employees.

[edited by: tedster at 4:14 pm (utc) on Sep. 11, 2002]
[edit reason] remove specific company [/edit]

[tedster]

Even the very BEST writer needs an editor.

[rewboss]

...and a proof reader.

It helps hugely if everyone understands and respects what the others do. For example, it's no good getting a graphics guy who's a wizz-bang expert with Photoshop but doesn't know a thing about computer monitors, bandwidth, the constraints of HTML/CSS, image optimization, bit depth, the special problems associated with onscreen display, the requirements of a successful navigation system and so on and so on.