Web Development and Web Maintenance Where Does Content Management Fit In

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Web Development and Web MaintenanceWhere Does
Content Management Fit In?

• Presented byMargie Colesmargie_at_pgsolutions.net
• February 21, 2002

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About Me

• Graduate of UW Software Product Management
  program
• Traditional electronic publishing
• Transitioned to Web publishing in 1995
• Many Web dev teams and roles
• Now specialize in Content Management

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Focus of Presentation

• Web dev versus software development
• Web dev versus Web maintenance
• Content managementwhat it is (and isnt)
• Web projectsan overview

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Part IWeb DevelopmentHow is it Different?

• Team is different
• Goals can be very different
• Notion of done is dead
• Development of publishing infrastructure (not
  just an end product)
• Design phase is different and longer

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Web Dev Team Is Diverse

• Business and creative staff for defining intent,
  direction
• Editorial staff for content development (copy)
• Graphics/multimedia staff for developing content
  (non-copy)
• Traditional IT-type developers for coding
  HTML/ASP, database integration, etc.
• Marketing/business staff for measuring
  effectiveness

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Diverse Team Risk!

• "The success of a web site design and
  production project depends on successful
  communication and collaboration between
  specialized team members. A linear, black box,
  throw-it-over-the-wall methodology just won't
  work."
• Information Architecture, O'Reilly
  Associates

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Project Goals Can Be Different

• Project is driven not so much by features as by
  content
• Organization and navigation of that content is
  key
• Flexibility of organization and site content is
  critical
• Success great publishing platform and great
  content

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Notion of Done

• Web sites are alive, change, and grow
• Web sites are an information vehicle
• They are not ever done
• Need an ongoing publishing process
• Emphasis on information distribution means
  instability/flux

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Design Phase is Different, Longer

• Web site as empty container NOT
• Content must be identified and architected
  (organized) FIRST
• Should include planning for facilitating content
  changes after launch!

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Design Stage

• Business requirements
• Creative brief
• Content domain definition
• Development of key content samples
• Information architecture (site map)
• CMS planning (if implementing)
• Page templates, layouts
• Interactive modeling or prototype

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Design Deliverables

• Strategic Brief
• Creative Brief
• Visual/Creative Design
• Content Domain Definition w/ samples
• Site Maps with logic
• Prototype (wireframe)
• Functional Spec (with links to detailed site maps
  and prototype pages)
• Content Analysis (for CMS)
• Workflow Analysis (for CMS)

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Part IIWeb Dev versus Web Maintenance

• Focus on publishing not launch
• Extensive real-time collaboration
• Requires publication (process) management
• Key players are different

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Web Maintenance IS Publishing

• Concepts and terminology from publishing world
  are helpful
• Workflow patterns must be outlined
• Jobs travel through workflow patterns
• Approval points must be defined and assigned

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Extensive, Fast Collaboration

• Content contributors are often teams
• Teams are diverse, distant
• Coordination (workflow) necessary
• Each step needs ownership
• Iterative cycles between steps increase as
  complexity increases

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Publishing Requires Management

• Each job is like a project
• Workflows are patterns of steps, players,
  dependencies, critical paths, handoffs,
  milestones, and timeline
• Real-time job tracking is essential
• Turn-around times for each step can be tight
• Deadlines are key

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Key Players for Publishing

• Managing EditorResponsible for editorial
  direction, calendar, and site content
• Production ManagerResponsible for job (project)
  management, deadlines, etc.

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Part IIIContent ManagementWhat It Is (Isnt)

• Originallymanaging of content for Web site
• Latelymanaging of any/all content or data assets
  of a business
• Newest industry buzzword Enterprise Content
  Management

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Content Management Forrester Group1
Three aspects are converging

• Web content
• Documents
• Digital assets

1Whats Next for Content Management? The
TechRankings TechInsight, November 21, 2001.
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CM Universe Seybold1

• Digital assets
• Web content
• Source code
• Documents
• Knowledge

1A Taxonomy for Content Management Systems, by
Victor Votsch, The Seybold Report, Sept. 3, 2001.
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CM An Alternate View

• Facilitates publishing
• Not Web specific
• Different from repository management (seaching is
  key)
• About
• Components and elements
• Workflow patterns

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The Magic Formula
Hierarchy
Sequence
Content
Management
Components Elements
Workflows
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Part IIIWeb Dev Projects An Overview

• Project stages
• A real project
• Key points for successful projects

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Project Stages

• Source Collaborative Web Development,by Jessica
  Burdman, Addison-Wesley, 1999

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Project Stages (cont.)

• Source Web Navigation,by Jennifer Fleming,
  O'Reilly Associates, 1998

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A Real Project

• Creative Brief/Strategic Brief
• Visual (graphic) design
• Messaging /content domain
• Sitemap development / modeling
• Mini-app module development
• Copy and graphics creation
• CMS product selection
• Content analysis (components elements)
• Workflow analysis (roles, input templates,
• Template design (component templates, input
  templates, presentation templates)

Parallel steps
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Key Points

• Integrated project include web dev and content
  dev
• One overall manager responsible for vision and
  schedule
• Know dependencies
• Emphasize cross-team communication
• Relate risks / issues to all project components

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And About Testing

• Not just for code
• Include content accuracy, editorial review, legal
  review
• Establish an ongoing test plan for Staging Server

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Questions?

• Contact information
• Margie Colesmargie_at_pgsolutions.net206.619.6633