Real Web Project Management: Case Studies and Best Practices from the Trenches

Real Web Project Management: Case Studies and Best Practices from the Trenches

by Thomas J. Shelford, Gregory A. Remillard
Released October 2002
Publisher(s): Addison-Wesley Professional
ISBN: 9780321112552

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Book description

The process of designing and building today's dynamic Web applications comes with a host of challenges not typically solved by traditional project management methodologies. A wealth of practical resources, Real Web Project Management: Case Studies and Best Practices from the Trenches is a book of solutions for designing, managing, and delivering virtually any type of Web-based project under even the most challenging of conditions.

Based on solutions implemented from actual, real-world scenarios, this practical book offers a complete road map for navigating every facet of a contemporary Web project. Filled with tips and techniques, it provides practices to implement and pitfalls to avoid to ensure success. Beginning by outlining the responsibilities of the project manager, this complete and comprehensive guide then covers team assembly and communication, project definition, change management, planning strategies, and workflow before moving on to the design, build, and delivery stages. The book's accessible format also provides immediate hands-on solutions for project managers seeking a quick answer to a particular problem.

Issues covered include:

  • The Web project manager--definitions and responsibilities

  • The project team--assembling and tips for effective collaborative communication

  • The project--defining and planning, plus managing change in any type of environment

  • The Workflow--processes and analysis

  • The design and build phases--managing and quality control

  • The delivery of a completed project

    • This book is packaged with a value-added CD-ROM, which includes complete project plan templates, model Web sites, project checklists, consulting contracts, software vendor reviews, and more. Additional resources and templates are available on the book's accompanying Web site at http://www.realwebprojects.com.

    All of this makes Real Web Project Management an essential reference for the working project manager, or for those new to the field. It is the most comprehensive resource available for planning, managing, and executing successful Web-based applications.



    0321112555B09172002

    Table of contents

    1. Copyright
    2. What Others Are Saying About Real Web Project Management
    3. Forward
    4. Preface
    5. Acknowledgments
    6. About the Authors
    7. The Project Manager: Who You Are and What You Do
      1. Who You Are
      2. What You Do
      3. Summary
    8. Web Team Roles
      1. Common Web Team Roles
      2. Common Team Problems
      3. Case Study: Startup Breakdown
      4. Summary
    9. Communication Cues
      1. Communication: What It Is
      2. Communication: What It Isn't
      3. Communication Best Practices
      4. Case Study: Peeling the Corporate Onion
      5. Summary
      6. The Voice of Experience
    10. Defining the Project
      1. The Creative Brief
      2. Project Documentation
      3. Case Study: Defining the Project with HTML “Shells”
      4. Summary
    11. Managing Change
      1. A New Perspective on Scope
      2. Classic Scope Control
      3. Managing Scope Change
      4. Common Scope Headaches
      5. Summary
      6. Extreme Programming
    12. The Art of Planning
      1. The Project Schedule
      2. Infatuation with Planning Software
      3. Planning by the Numbers
      4. Planning Pitfalls
      5. Case Study: Planning Software Overload
      6. Summary
    13. Learning to Love Meetings
      1. Why Are We Here?
      2. Common Project Meetings
      3. Case Study: The Exploding Meeting
      4. Summary
    14. Workflow
      1. Workflow for the Web
      2. Creating Workflow Standards
      3. Content Production Workflow
      4. Summary
    15. Managing the Design Phase
      1. Is Information Architecture the Designer's Job?
      2. Design Production
      3. Design Production Phases
      4. Internal and External Design Groups
      5. How Technical Do Designers Need to Be?
      6. Summary
      7. The Information Architect Role in Practice
      8. How We Manage Design
    16. The Technical Build
      1. Anxiety over the Technical Build
      2. Model–View–Controller
      3. A Generic Technical Build
      4. Code Review Guidelines
      5. Production Challenges
      6. Case Study: A Recipe for Disaster
      7. Summary
    17. Surviving Quality Assurance
      1. A Common Scenario
      2. Quality Assurance for the Web
      3. What Does QA Test For?
      4. How Does QA Test Web Sites?
      5. The Testing Process
      6. The Politics of QA
      7. Case Study: Burning QA
      8. Summary
    18. Getting It Out the Door
      1. The Final QA Phase
      2. Launch Deliverables
      3. Going Live
      4. Case Study: The Most Expensive Launch that Never Happened
      5. Summary
    19. Leading Organizational Change
      1. The Invisible Team Member
      2. Common Organizational Structures
      3. Early Stages of Project Management
      4. The Project Management Office
      5. Case Study: Establishing Web Project Management at a Media Company
      6. Summary
    20. Project Quick-Start Guide
      1. Brochureware
      2. Business-to-Business Portals (“Vortals”)
      3. E-Commerce Web Sites
      4. E-Marketing Projects
      5. International Web Sites
      6. Intranets
    21. Technology for the Web Project Manager
      1. What You Really Need to Know—Frameworks
      2. Object-Oriented Design
      3. Web Services with XML
      4. Content Management Systems
      5. Digital Rights Management
    22. Useful Web Sites
      1. Project Management Sites
      2. Web Development and Technology Sites
      3. Graphic Design and Information Architecture Sites
      4. Glossaries
      5. Hybrids
    23. Recommended Reading

    Product information

    • Title: Real Web Project Management: Case Studies and Best Practices from the Trenches
    • Author(s): Thomas J. Shelford, Gregory A. Remillard
    • Release date: October 2002
    • Publisher(s): Addison-Wesley Professional
    • ISBN: 9780321112552