Production

producing

Producers are the unsung heroes (or heroines) of the web world. A Creative Director once scornfully told me that the term Producer was an oxymoron: “You don’t actually produce anything”, he muttered before donning his lens-less glasses and fumbling for a crayon.

Well, poof and piddle to him because producers (or project managers) are, in my opinion, essential to every digital project.

What does a producer do?

A producer is the linchpin, cornerstone, epicentre (and any other euphemism for central you’d like to insert) of the project. They are responsible for:

Creating the project strategy.
Working on the project information architecture.
Scoping the project – understanding what is required to get the work done and creating a functional specification.
Producing a timeline.
Producing a budget.
Deciding which resources are needed and managing their time.
Creating all documentation including wireframes, sitemaps, functional specifications, user journeys, technical specs and more.
Liaising with the client to ensure the project is going swimmingly.
Translating all the geek jargon
Liaising with the team to ensure that communication flow is smooth and that everyone knows what’s happening.
Testing the site with the use of Frequently Asked Questions.
Delivering everything to the client’s expectations on time and on budget.

Pretty important, huh?

Why use a producer?

All too often I find clients trying to play the role of producer, working directly with designers and coders without really understanding what they’re talking about.

This leads to confusion on all sides. The resources aren’t clear what the client wants and the client ends up disappointed with a result that isn’t quite what they were after. Using a great producer, like me, can save you thousands on project overspend, relieve the headache of dealing with third parties and ensure you get the result you want.

I’ve helped several clients plan their websites, here’s what they say about me:

“Kate has been instrumental in helping me take a complex and rather unwieldy idea for a website and turning into a concise, detailed document ready for quoting. She has proven to be efficient, knowledgeable and good humoured. Considering I had already had one unsuccessful experience with other web developers, working with Kate was a dream. I would not hesitate to recommend Kate to anyone who is trying to take a web idea and make it reality, or alternatively, anyone who wants to update and improve their existing website.” John Titley, CrewWho.

“I used Kate for requirements gathering and making a series of sensible and intelligent suggestions for my soon to be built website (www.connectdigital.com.au) Kate has been extremely helpful. Here are a few words that I think appropriately describe her, her servicesand quality of work -: efficient, highly knowledgeable, honest, down to earth, speedy, worth every penny, and a lovely all round person/business partner.” Jeremy Champion