Did you know that your web design project manager is the glue that keeps projects together and running smoothly? Did you know that there are 109 important steps to successful web design project management? And that a Web Design Project Manager has the important role of making certain no step is missed? In addition, the role is an opportunity to work on a wide range of creative business websites every day. Most project managers wear several hats and assist in multiple areas of a project, including but not limited to client communication, scheduling, timeline creation, design presentation, quality assurance and even content management! This wide range of responsibility is part of what makes the role so interesting. You are always on your toes working on something new and creative. And there is no shortage of communication as the bulk of the day is actually spent on interacting with clients, designers, developers and the Creative Director to name just a few. In addition, each project scope is unique and so no two handcrafted websites are ever alike. The projects may incorporate various services ranging from branding to UX design, to responsive web design, to illustration to development, or even all of the above! Making sure these complex projects get broken down into manageable tasks is key.
Every web design agency has a list of documented steps, and at Isadora Agency we actually have documented 109 steps! It’s these project tasks that keep a web design project manager aware of what’s been completed and what needs to get done. It also provides a first-hand look at how a project comes together. You are also the glue that keeps everything together and moving along smoothly. Making sure all project tasks get executed on time is a big responsibility. So it’s no surprise that the right individual must be a team player and be able to juggle multiple tasks at once. Sometimes clients fall behind or forget to turn in critical assets. Sometimes the designers falls behind or forgets to add certain design elements. Sometimes a developer will need more time to finalize complex code. Whatever you can think of happens! And while notifications and reminders are always sent out, things do come up that cause delays. These are just a few of the things that a strong project manager is always cognizant of. Most of the time projects get completed smoothly and clients are extremely happy with the results. But for the few times that there are small obstacles in the road, a good project manager is more than able to find a solution. It may sound like a lot to keep track of, but at the end of the day it’s a fun and dynamic role within any web design agency.
We’ve outlined a few of the 109 steps below, just to provide a flavor of what really goes on behind the scenes to keep everything moving along. These tasks are project management essentials that ensure nothing gets overlooked. Whether it’s weekly tasks, development related tasks, design related tasks, quality assurance tasks or even post launch tasks – all of them need to get done correctly and at just the right time. You can even think of project management as a puzzle, where all the pieces of the puzzle need to come together in order to complete the puzzle. Missing even just one piece leaves you with an incomplete puzzle! So it’s important that the project manager follows these steps each and every time to ensure a successful project. First a project manager gets assigned to your project and is made the main point of contact. That’s when all the fun begins! Take a look at some of the web design project manager tasks below:
- Creates a private client area for posting of design rounds
- Creates a timeline for the client
- Update timelines throughout the project
- Posts all client revisions to design
- Sends notifications and reminders to client for assets that are due
- Leads weekly phone calls
- Leads the Design Presentations
- Handles live calls to go over feedback
- Conducts design reviews with lead designer, strategist and team
- Coordinate agile process with development team
- Monitors development progress every week
- Monitors Quality Assurance progress
- Secures hosting information from client
- Integrating your social feeds such as Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook
- Manages the launch of a new website!
Some of the listed task are just common sense while others are a bit trickier than they appear to be. Needless to say, a web design project manager has their hands full and when you consider they often times juggle multiple projects, you can really see just how valuable they are to the process.