The Makings of a Well-Rounded Web Team
If you’re part of a Web development team or work closely with one, you already
understand what it takes to be successful. But for those of us who have a
little less interaction with this group, we could benefit from a lesson in Web
team basics. Who are they? What do they do? And how do they work together?
Whether your company is a small startup or a global enterprise, the more you
know about the Web development process, the better. And the more you know about
the kind of people who are out there to help you, the more effective your Web
projects can be.
Who They Are
There is no single formula for a good Web team. The right team is assembled
based on the needs of a company and their clients or customers. With that said,
here are some of the basic roles and their functions.
Web Project Manager
Web project managers develop project schedules, coordinate activities and
manage tasks throughout the project lifecycle (e.g., programming, site design
and organization, quality assurance). Their main objective is to ensure the
internal team goals and deliverables for the project are being met on schedule.
Information Architect
The title is fairly self-explanatory – these individuals are indeed architects
of information. They perform many different tasks (depending on the project or
their employer), but at the most basic level, information architects create
wireframes and site maps to establish the organization and functionality of a
site. Information architects also ensure that the content of a site is being
presented in a way that makes it easy to use.
Designer
Web designers do more than just develop the look and feel of a site. They are
responsible for creating a unique space in which both the user and the brand
can coexist. It’s very important that the Web site is not just aesthetically
pleasing, but also in line with the brand. Web designers also oversee graphic
production and work with the front-end developer and other strategists to
ensure the site is designed in a way that makes it easy for visitors to find
exactly what they need.
Front-End Developer
Front-end developers must have an eye for design as well as the development
skills necessary to translate a designer’s vision into a user-friendly and
effective Web site. Front-end developers tend to use technology such as
cascading style sheets (CSS), HTML4/5, Flash, Photoshop, XML and AJAX (or
jQuery) to develop robust user interfaces that can stand alone or be integrated
into content management systems. They are the bridge between a designer and
back-end developer, which allows them to move between both disciplines and have
a good working knowledge of each.
Back-End Developer
Back-end developers are experts in one or more of the languages used to create
Web sites. Their focus usually leverages a development platform (such as the
.NET framework), along with technologies to help develop streamlined
application interfaces (AJAX, XML, XSLT). Database architecture and technology
also goes hand in hand with their development efforts, allowing the final site
to deliver dynamic content that can be managed at the client level.
Content Manager
The best sites serve up fresh content on a regular basis. That’s where content
managers come in. Their job is to develop a strategy for the site’s content
that aligns with the brand’s marketing goals. Often, the content manager also
writes and edits copy for the site with a focus on search engine optimization
efforts (SEO, or organic search).
Getting the Job Done Right
After setting goals for a new site and benchmarking the competition, one of the
first creative tasks is to develop big-picture concepts for the site. Designers
create and execute this vision to ensure the look and feel is working to
achieve the site’s established marketing goals.
Next, the organization of the site is put together by the information
architect, who creates a content outline, site map and wireframes. The content
outline and sitemap help to set the stage for site organization and structure,
while the wireframes provide a functional definition (or blueprint) for the
actual build of the site. The wireframes will usually be accompanied by a
document explaining any intricacies of the build, and both will be used by the
development teams during the build phase.
A lot of collaboration takes place during the development process, during which
front- and back-end programmers are charged with writing code (sometimes using
different frameworks and programming languages) to bring the design concept to
life. Marrying design with functionality for the end-user can be one of the
biggest challenges when building a site from the ground up. It can be a
challenge to directly translate a designer’s vision into what we see on the Web
– a lot of precision and expertise is required from the developers.
Leading up to and during a Web site’s life cycle, the content manager works
with other experts who specialize in search engine optimization (SEO) or social
media strategy to ensure all marketing goals are met. Now, it’s more important
than ever that brands explore how to use social media outlets like Facebook,
Twitter and YouTube, and the SEO process goes hand in hand with social media
strategy. SEO includes number of different techniques to drive traffic to Web
pages (i.e., developing keyword strategies, using linking strategies to improve
search ranking and creating pay-per-click campaigns).
From beginning to end, Web project managers are troubleshooting, overseeing the
construction and development of a site, and spearheading the quality control
process to ensure goals and deadlines are met.
Staying In the Loop
A Web site is only as good as the team who creates and maintains it, and while
this article provides a closer look at the gurus of the Web world, it barely
scratches the surface. New information and techniques for the Web are developed
every day, so staying on top of things will only increase your ability to tap
into the maximum potential of your online brand.