Comments on: A Website Design & Development Project Checklist

By: Lyndsay Babl

Lyndsay Babl — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:33:42 +0000

Thank you for this list! It’s not like we don’t know any single one of these points, but keeping them all together is handy

By: Ulana Illiano

Ulana Illiano — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:40:50 +0000

Thanks for the great checklist. I think the note on CMS training is key. Depending on how tech-savvy a client is, the time needed to familiarize the client with the CMS should not be underestimated when creating the project checklist. If someone is very uncomfortable with computer work and is, say, simply an artist who wants a site to sell their work, they may not be a tech person. As a result the follow-up calls and hours spent working with them to acquaint them with their CMS can be many and must be factored in.

By: David- JLC web design

David- JLC web design — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:29:39 +0000

Nice list, its so easy to miss some of the points you made when you are communicating with clients (especially these days). We have our own checklist to go through and we have pre writen guides and proposal templates to make sure we include everything.

“No Favours â€“ The road to hell is paved with good intentions and the bodies of well meaning web developers” – a web designer we know is currently trying to sort out a huge situation off the back of trying to help out a friend of the family, its not even that big a project but a mass family war has broken out because of it.

By: Shaun Anderson

Shaun Anderson — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:49:49 +0000

Thanks Ryan – @David, I’ve had a few nightmares… :O

By: Ryan v.

Ryan v. — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:17:49 +0000

Our clients seem to never fail to come running back to us a year later asking why their website is no longer loading (domain expiration).

Things like this always turn into some kind of huge hassle, them not understanding why their site isn’t loading, you explaining how you already talked about this a year ago and they agreed to be in charge of their own domain, etc.

Having a contract at the beginning of the project certainly helps to make things more clear further down the road.

Overall great checklist of MUSTS for any designer/developer.

Thank you!

By: David Hopkins

David Hopkins — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:35:32 +0000

You can tell you have obviously been on the block for some time. Takes time to find out how much of a nightmare web dev. can be and how you need to run projects so they are no nightmares or the nightmarish aspects are minimised.

By: Shaun Anderson

Shaun Anderson — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:23:32 +0000

Yup

By: Richard

Richard — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:37:24 +0000

check deadlinks!

there is nothing more annoying when folders and files don’t link correctly
manually check dead-links including your wordpress, use the built-in check facility in dreamweaver

By: Steve Morris

Steve Morris — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:50:33 +0000

Web designers want to design web sites and sometimes working with people becomes problematic with the clients having an expectation of you doing everything (including writing the copy) getting everything out in the open in the early stages can only be good for both designer and client .

By: Outsourcing Company Website Design

Outsourcing Company Website Design — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:05:34 +0000

Hi This is SK Smith i found your post on “A Website Design & Development Project Checklist” that’ really very useful list for website Design thanks.

By: Pregnancy Scans London

Pregnancy Scans London — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 23:29:08 +0000

Great tips!

By: wigwam

wigwam — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:48:35 +0000

Like the checklist. Think i’ll start to put it into working practice. It should cut down on a lot of wasted man hours

By: warren

warren — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:08:13 +0000

good list. It brings up a strong argument for a detailed contract so that the client’s expectations are reflected – as well as agreed upon – in advance..

By: Id Verification Software Solutions

Id Verification Software Solutions — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:49:56 +0000

Thanks for this. Good list.

I think a big issue is that clients differ greatly in terms of their technical understanding of what’s involved.

I guess the key is to draft a detailed proposal (though boring it may be) that covers all the points in the list above and spells out in ‘non-jargon’ language exactly what they can expect from you.

By: Carports

Carports — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:46:51 +0000

The guidelines published here are very practical. Specially point number 10 is very important in my opinion. Yes hacking is a real menace. I would like to know more about it. Can yau give me the link of some resources?

By: Paintworkz Web Design

Paintworkz Web Design — Fri, 02 May 2008 05:05:59 +0000

Excellent article! Another problem is when the client side is managed by more than a single person, at this time its most important to have a presentation made for both of them else that really creates a mess for us with the works and reworks.

By: First Vehicle Car Leasing

First Vehicle Car Leasing — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:09:17 +0000

Superb article! Lots of great tips to action.

By: iMaker Bristol

iMaker Bristol — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:19:15 +0000

It’s another good post. Point 5 though sounding simple, I’ve been there: ‘No Favours – The road to hell is paved with good intentions and the bodies of well meaning web developers’. The client perspective is always the “but it’s only a small change I want”…

By: Corporate Hampers

Corporate Hampers — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:00:19 +0000

very impressive list of good practice guidelines, which other people can take on board, study and hopefully they donâ€™t get stung from awkward clients.

My main concern is point 10, Security Websites Get Hacked.

Great idea to bring this up at the start. who cleans up the mess these guys make?
Whether its defacing the site or database integrity, depending on what is stored in there,
telling the client to update there system sounds like its going to cost Â£Â£Â£â€¦

By: Shaun

Shaun — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:57:03 +0000

ktulhu – I always like an email from the client approving the project before I begin. First stage is a high level agreement, 2nd is a confirmation of the project cost and scope.

Keeps everybody right.

By: Football Trials

Football Trials — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:02:31 +0000

Very nice and detailed check-list, thanks!

Ask the client to send you an email notifying his acceptance of the project scope and cost
What for? Why do you think extra agreement is good/needed?

Thanks again.

By: Erika

Erika — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:26:46 +0000

All of these are excellent points! My favorite has to be the bulleted list for website content. I’ve always recommended that my clients create an outline – one page for each section, that way they’ve got plenty of room to add footnotes, proofreading edits, and little sketches for their ideas (if they are that type.)

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:16:27 +0000

Good article. All points are key items to cover with the client. If its possible to meet face to face with your client, signing contracts is always a great addition. Ongoing maintenance is one area that many designers/developers tend to miss out on, its good that you pointed it out. Many clients won’t want the hassle of updating their own sites, but you can make some good money for the hour or two it’ll take for every update.