Front and Center: Working Well in a Team Environment

A team-based Web site is one of the more exciting opportunities for the true designer. Whereas the old paradigm of a single Webmaster required that he learn all aspects of the development process (including Web security and database programming), a true team environment can allow people to perform the duties they are the most skilled at.

The biggest challenge for a designer in a team environment is often in convincing others in the team to follow your design not develop their own. Because the design process (as opposed to the skill) is so easy with FrontPage 2003, many will fancy themselves developers, regardless of their talents. Effective project management obviously also requires an appreciation (and understanding) of the role of the design in the development process.

This is why the role of the project manager is so important. This individual is tasked with ensuring that everyone on the team complete the tasks assigned to them while letting others do what they do well. On any project in which the design process seems to get out of control, a good manager can help bring everything back into focus.

The question every project manager should ask is how many people are actually needed for a team project. Too few will prevent the project from getting completed, but too many will slow down the project to the point of a snail's crawl. Choosing which (and how many) people will be working on your project is as important as the technology you might choose to implement.