Planning the Project

Project planning is critical because it helps you focus your objectives. It also helps you plan for usability activities that are part of the process of developing a successful site. You must think about what you want to achieve and create a focused vision that will benefit both your users and your company or agency.

A public Web site is available to everyone. But "everyone" is not necessarily the best definition of the audiences for your site. Think specifically about the people you want to attract to your site.

Develop a Plan

Planning is a way to understand and get agreement on what you are going to do, in what timeframe, with what resources, and at what cost. Learn More

Project Team

To ensure that your project goes smoothly and is successful, you must assemble a project team with the right mix of skills. How many people you need depends, of course, on the scope of your project. You may find that one person has the skills to fill more than one of the roles we list below or you may need several people for some of these roles. Learn More

Kick-Off Meeting

During the kick-off meeting, you begin to develop an understanding of how your internal team views the current Web site and the project to develop a new site. Learn More

Statement of Work (SOW)

An SOW describes the work to be performed and usually includes a timeline and level of effort so that a vendor or contractor can respond to the Request for Quotes (RFQ) with a proposal and cost estimate. You can then select the most qualified help at the most affordable cost. Learn More

Hiring Usability Specialists

When hiring a usability specialist (whether in-house, as a consultant, or by selecting among contractors who have bid on your Statement of Work), it is important to review the individual specialist's skills and background to ensure that you select a qualified expert. Learn More