Project management is a big part of running a successful web design company. Each new project that comes in adds to the workload, and must be managed effectively in order to complete it in a timely manner. All nighters might work in college, but effective project management takes planning and consistent work over a period of time.
When I’m working on a website I write down all the milestones that must be completed. Next, I develop a plan to accomplish those milestones. Finally, I set a deadline to make sure I complete the project on time.
1. Set Milestones
Milestones are important on larger projects because they help break up a seemingly overwhelming task into smaller, bite size pieces. Its like the old saying, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
For a website I break the project into different phases: research, content creation, wire framing, design, coding, and launch. Each of these milestones has certain requirements that must be met in order to move on to the next phase. These milestones help move the project along to completion.
2. Develop a Plan
Once the milestones are set, I need a plan to reach them. Milestones (or goals) are great to have, but are useless by themselves. If I don’t have a focused plan to reach them, I won’t know if I’m headed in the right direction.
I take the time to brainstorm and map out the best route to reach each of the milestones for the project. I like to turn a project into a list of actionable items. By breaking the project down this way, I don’t have to think about what to do next. I already have my plan in front of me. All I have to do is follow the road map.
3. Write Down a Deadline
If I don’t put a deadline on a project, it will never get done. Without deadlines, projects and goals can go unfinished for months. Have you ever put off a project simply because there was no deadline to finish the work? Creating deadlines, even if arbitrary, give me the internal motivation needed to get to work.
My favorite tool to combat this procrastination is my calendar. Once I put a deadline for a project on my calendar, it is always there staring me in the face. Every time I open iCal I am reminded that I only have x number of days before that project must be done. There is no negotiating with my calendar.
Effective project management is important to any successful business. By setting milestones, developing a plan, and writing down a deadline you are setting yourself up for success for whatever projects come your way.
