When digging in to a new client project, it can be so exciting that you get caught up in all the fun! However, if you don’t take the time to plan on the front end, your exciting new business venture could become the biggest headache you’ve ever had!
So, here are some tips to help you stay organized and productive (on a team or solo) when working on a Web Development project. Some pre-planning can go a long way. Take a look at these tips on how to better map out your next project:
Tip #1: Make Your Contract Rock-Solid: To avoid hurt feelings, delays and financial troubles, your first priority should be establishing a thorough, firm, but fair written contract. Let’s be honest, you have to make sure they’re going to keep up their end of the deal! #BMGChat
Tip #2: Have a Well-Defined Road Map: You should outline all project features as thoroughly as possible, establish the general plan or project progression, from research to deployment. This way, if you get off track, you know exactly HOW to get back where you need to be! #BMGChat
Tip #3: Establish a Style Guide: Taking the time to create a style guide for your project will help you maintain consistency throughout. Furthermore, when the project needs updating six months from now, you’ll be glad you made the effort. #BMGChat
Tip #4: Take Time to Research, Plan and Test: Research, diagram, read through source coding and organize your thoughts. It will save so much time and money, and prevent embarrassing problems like code rewrites. #BMGChat
Tip #5: Document As You Go: Some developers cringe at the thought of writing documentation, but years from now how are you going to remember what those thousands of lines of source code mean? Moral of the story: WRITE IT DOWN! #BMGChat
Tip #6: Take Thorough Meeting Notes: Always jot down the major (and minor) points of client meetings. You will be able to look back on little details without questioning yourself. Plus, you won’t have to bother the client with questions over and over again! #BMGChat
Tip #7: Put Due Dates In Writing: Large projects tend to have a lot of dependencies, and missing one deadline can often put an entire project behind schedule. Put due dates in writing and on your calendar, and stick to them! #BMGChat
Many of these tips may seem like common sense, but how many of us actually implement them in every project we tackle? I know I don’t! Evaluate the projects you’re working on, and try to do a little pre-planning with a few of these tips. I promise, it will make the project go much more smoothly.