If you are in any way responsible for a Web site, you should have some understanding of the principles of Extreme Programming. Cultivated as a discipline of software development, it is a combination of ensuring that designs remain uncomplicated, centering changes around user requirements, and employing the concept of the "Whole Team." The result is that small changes are released as they are needed - and endorsed - by the client.
Not surprisingly, Extreme Programming speaks well to Web management. Consider its core values: simplicity, communication, feedback, and courage. These are the bedrock incremental redesign.
Simplicity - Integrate all site changes in small doses. Avoid tectonic disruption of the entire Web presence.
Document faithfully, but do not get bogged down in over-documenting. Or overplanning.
Leverage reusable objects. Better yet, get the site into a content management system - one that is scaled to its requirements.
Eliminate unmanageable code morass by following Web Standards and maintaining an intelligible site architecture.
Communication - Keep your users close - make them part of ongoing development.
Don't forget that content is what your Web site is really about. Treat your content providers as part of your team.
If you are fortunate enough to have more than one developer supporting your site, practice team programming. The Web site will fare much better if programmers are not writing code in isolation.
Feedback- Keep your users at the center of your Web team at all times. Develop a pattern of integrating small changes that pass their tests.
Be faithful about fixing the bugs users find quickly.
Make accessibility and usability your mantra.
Courage - Accept that your users are your best teachers. Accept that they will continue to teach you new things for as long as you are in this profession.
Once you ditch the practice of Big Rollouts and get used to incremental redesign, you will discover the following advantages:
In my own experience, incremental development and redesign is also a whole lot more fun. It eliminates much of the overplanning, hand wringing, and artificial deadlines that are the hobgoblins of the Major Re-Launch. There is more room for creativity and innovation. And a whole lot less burnout.
Further Reading:
The Art of the Incremental Redesign, Jeffrey Veen
The Quiet Death of the Major Re-Launch, Jared Spool
Designing Embracable Change, Jared Spool
Extreme Programming, Ron Jeffries
Extreme Programming: A Gentle Introduction, J. Donovan Welles
Not surprisingly, Extreme Programming speaks well to Web management. Consider its core values: simplicity, communication, feedback, and courage. These are the bedrock incremental redesign.
Simplicity - Integrate all site changes in small doses. Avoid tectonic disruption of the entire Web presence.
Document faithfully, but do not get bogged down in over-documenting. Or overplanning.
Leverage reusable objects. Better yet, get the site into a content management system - one that is scaled to its requirements.
Eliminate unmanageable code morass by following Web Standards and maintaining an intelligible site architecture.
Communication - Keep your users close - make them part of ongoing development.
Don't forget that content is what your Web site is really about. Treat your content providers as part of your team.
If you are fortunate enough to have more than one developer supporting your site, practice team programming. The Web site will fare much better if programmers are not writing code in isolation.
Feedback- Keep your users at the center of your Web team at all times. Develop a pattern of integrating small changes that pass their tests.
Be faithful about fixing the bugs users find quickly.
Make accessibility and usability your mantra.
Courage - Accept that your users are your best teachers. Accept that they will continue to teach you new things for as long as you are in this profession.
Once you ditch the practice of Big Rollouts and get used to incremental redesign, you will discover the following advantages:
- It's far more manageable - especially for small teams and lone Webmasters.
- You can make better use of part-time, temporary employees - student developers for example - because projects are of a smaller scale.
- It allows for prototyping and perfecting features before moving on.
- It's more feasible to drop technologies that aren't working.
- Conversion of future sections of the Web site becomes increasingly easy.
- There is far less large-scale troubleshooting.
- Documentation is less cumbersome.
- Rollback is simpler and easier.
- It's easier to collect and manage content - as well as content providers and content provision workflow.
- It's nearly painless for users. They are much happier with your product.
- Users become your allies - they are more involved and therefore feel much more ownership in your site.
- Usage tests and usability studies are more focused, less amorphous.
In my own experience, incremental development and redesign is also a whole lot more fun. It eliminates much of the overplanning, hand wringing, and artificial deadlines that are the hobgoblins of the Major Re-Launch. There is more room for creativity and innovation. And a whole lot less burnout.
Further Reading:
The Art of the Incremental Redesign, Jeffrey Veen
The Quiet Death of the Major Re-Launch, Jared Spool
Designing Embracable Change, Jared Spool
Extreme Programming, Ron Jeffries
Extreme Programming: A Gentle Introduction, J. Donovan Welles