A Clients Perspective

Over the years, I've learned that the web developer and the client who is commissioning the building of a website have radically different perspectives on the site that's being constructed. One one hand, the web developer has probably built a site like this many times before. He knows his process. He can foresee the steps that are coming next. He understands all the ins and outs of what is happening at each stage of the game.

The client, on the other hand, is most likely going through this process for the first (or maybe second) time. Even more likely, it's the first time they're going through the process with this particular developer. Therefore, they're more or less flying blind. They're not 100% sure what to expect. They don't know which step will be coming next unless the developer communicates that to them. This can be really unsettling and cast a shadow over the site design process.

Clear Communication

Clear communication is often the key in this scenario. The client should know, at every stage, what is happening, why it's happening, and how it's happening. They should also know what to expect next, and ultimately, what to expect at the end of the process. It would be easy to think that all of this information could be communicated as the work progresses. However, in my experience, I've found that this approach isn't very successful.

Many site builders will think it doesn't matter when this information is conveyed, as long as it's given to the client at some point. But I've found that many problems and miscommunications can be avoided if the information is all conveyed before the build process actually begins...in pre-production.

Not the Popular Kid

Website designers love pre-production. Website clients aren't such a big fan.

These days, websites are hot commodities. Churches, especially, are realizing suddenly how important the internet is and, at the same time, realizing that their current website isn't cuttin' it. Panic sets in. "We need a new site...and we need it yesterday!" The timeline requirements for a site dramatically shrink because there's such pressure for a new website. However, when a website's timeline is cut down, pre-production is the first thing to be chopped out. And this is a huge mistake.

Pre-Production for a website is not exciting. It usually consists of a lot of meetings, a lot of forms and contracts to write and fill out, and a whole lot of web-flow and technology mapping. The developer wants to ask the client a million questions, but the client is thinking "Let's get on with it...build my site already". What the client usually fails to realize is that pre-production for a website is the most important part of the site building process. Yes, more important than the actual building itself. However, since it's less exciting and there's no visible progress, it all to often gets cut out.

Communication in Pre-Production

The client doesn't usually miss the pre-production phase at all...until the project nears maturity. If you've skipped pre-production, things may seem fine at first. The design gets built, the site gets configured, everything is humming along fine. It's not until you hit the details (which are what the client actually cares about) that questions start to arise. The developer starts to hear questions like "You mean I can't do this..." or "I thought I was going to be able to hit this button and that would happen..." Words start flying around like "Well, that isn't how a calendar should work...it should work THIS way..." and "So, you're not going to have an animated flash menu bar? I just thought that's how you'd do it...". Communication has broken down...and it's all because pre-production was skipped.

You see, pre-production wipes away any misconceptions about the project right up front. It clearly lays out a path that is, quite literally, signed off upon. The more time that you can spend on pre-production, the less confusion or stress the project will see at a later date. The client will know exactly how that menu bar is going to work, what technology it will be built with, and why it won't be built with Flash. The client will understand that it will cost extra to have their calendar display in a particular manner and they'll understand why those dollars are justified. By taking time to plan and communicate the future details of the project, the web developer and the client will be on the same page, working together as a team instead of two individuals working towards their own personal vision.

A Lesson Being Learned

At Mustardseed, we're firm believers in learning new lessons. This lesson of Pre-Production is one we've been learning more and more every day. We see the importance of solid communication at the beginning of each project. We want to work with our clients, being on the same team...not spending all of our time trying to calm their nerves because things weren't communicated clearly. This is why we're now implementing and encouraging an extensive pre-production process in all the websites we build.

Strong Pre-Production will equal a much stronger website. And in the end, people only see the final product...not the road you took to get there.