{"id":7715,"date":"2014-04-15T10:24:00","date_gmt":"2014-04-15T10:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heartinternet.uk\/blog\/?p=7715"},"modified":"2014-04-15T10:24:00","modified_gmt":"2014-04-15T10:24:00","slug":"power-up-your-project-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heartinternet.uk\/blog\/power-up-your-project-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Power Up your project management"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you create websites, having project management skills is essential to prevent your brain melting and stop you wasting valuable time. Formal project management is a whole industry in itself, but here are some useful tips, ideas and resources any web professional can pick up and use to quickly improve workflow.<\/p>\n

This post forms part of our Power Up series, designed to help you make more of your skills and websites with top tips and handy web nuggets.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1. Sign off brief\/specification <\/strong><\/h5>\n

After you\u2019ve worked with the client to determine what they want, it\u2019s important that you sign off the spec before you start work. Any extras can easily be added to a second phase of work and billed separately to avoid confusion or added unpaid work. If you\u2019re working with clients who don\u2019t have technical or web industry knowledge, it\u2019s important that all parties feel comfortable so you\u2019re working from the same page with the same expectations from the start.<\/p>\n

2. Set out your targets and goals <\/strong><\/h5>\n

Create specific, measurable goals using the SMART (or SMARTER)<\/a> criteria. Depending on your project and setup, you\u2019ll want to give particular aspects more time and importance than others, but once you get a feel for it you can take the elements you need from project to project easily without a second thought. They are also versatile enough to apply to real-world challenges and offline work as well.<\/p>\n

3. Make sure your process fits <\/strong><\/h5>\n

Even though the core aspects of your design process and workflow will remain the same between projects, it\u2019s essential that you review all aspects before starting something new to ensure that your approach is optimised for each individual set of needs. Consider all elements of the project – including resources, time, tasks and stages, and the number of people involved \u2013 to make any tweaks you need and ensure that it works for you in your environment.<\/p>\n

4. Establish roles <\/strong><\/h5>\n

Heading a team means that you need to assign clear roles to everyone and define boundaries between (or within) tasks. There should always be an obvious hierarchy with someone who is responsible for making the final decision within the project team and can sign off stages. If you\u2019re working alone, it\u2019s still important to create boundaries to avoid feature creep and keep on track.<\/p>\n

5. Identify your strengths and weaknesses<\/strong><\/h5>\n

If you\u2019re working on a big project, or one that requires multiple skillsets, consider who\u2019s the best person for each job. If you\u2019re a lone wolf, is it worth subcontracting or asking a contact to help out or review areas that are your weaker points? If you\u2019re managing a team, it\u2019s vital to know each person\u2019s strengths and weaknesses to get the best job done in the shortest time.<\/p>\n

6. Determine the required tools <\/strong><\/h5>\n

There are hundreds of apps, websites and software options out there, ranging from simple to-do lists to fully-fledged management systems. Again, your choices will depend on the complexity of the project and the number of people involved\u2026as well as the budget!<\/p>\n

Here are some of our top picks:<\/p>\n