Ease, Power, and Cost
Many people know the Free/Cheap/Good trade-off, but I think there’s a similar Ease/Power/Cheap one. Understanding it helps people make better and more-informed decisions about their projects.
Project Management
Translating Technical Language Between Stakeholders [link]
A great article about the four principles required for good communication on a project.
The Right And Wrong Way to Manage Volunteer Website Projects
Websites are expensive. Nonprofit budgets are tight. So why not get a volunteer to build your website? It’s not easy, and frequently, volunteer-built websites never see the light of day. Here are a few reasons why.
On “5 Minute” Bug Fixes and Project Time Estimates [link]
Setting a timeline for a project or task is a constant part of the work I do. Unfortunately, it’s also a major headache and I have yet to master the art of consistent accurate time estimates. Read these fun stories to get an idea of the types of errors that can lead to seemingly never-ending projects.
Client Intake, Project Planning, and Wait
Frank Partnoy’s book, Wait, has me thinking about project management. It discusses how—across many disciplines—experts are careful in collecting enough information to make good decisions before quickly relying on past experience to succeed at whatever their goal may be. So this suggests that projects start slow and then end fast.
Communication & Inclusion on A List Apart [link]
Two great articles, both about different types of communication.
Assessing Needs & Finding Solutions
What does a town with too many highways have to do with working with a client to build a website? Find out and learn how to follow the path of identifying needs to find solutions addressed by the perfect product.
On Separating Content and Design
It’s a bit of a “buzzphrase”: “You should always separate content and design.” But this was also a mind-blowing and useful concept when I first learned it. Join me as I share various applications of this idea and try to nuance it just a bit.
Trust is a Must: Thoughts on Successful Project Collaboration
Thanks to an engaging session at the InfoCamp Seattle conference, I’ve clarified some ideas on successful collaboration and how to achieve it. I want to share it here in hopes of hearing other stories of collaboration. Do you agree with my thoughts? Got a better idea?