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Project Management. TOPIC OR HEADING. Steven Young September 2013. Project Management. By understanding and using deliberate design processes parameters by which a project is planned and controlled are established • Quality is defined by specifications • Time is defined by schedule
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Project Management TOPIC OR HEADING Steven YoungSeptember 2013
Project Management By understanding and using deliberate design processes parameters by which a project is planned and controlled are established • Quality is defined by specifications • Time is defined by schedule • Costs are defined by budget To carry out work of the project, a team is assembled. This team is usually comprised of members with very clearly defined areas of expertise and roles and responsibilities. Policies and procedures are required to clarify how the team is to function during the project. The work of different individuals and groups must be coordinated so that things run smoothly, and the progress of the project must be monitored and measured against plans. When variations occur, corrective action must be taken.
Design Processes Design is a rigorous, cyclical process of enquiry and creativity. Design processes consist of a series of methods that are put together to suit the nature of each design project. Design processes are not linear as there are many feedback loops to allow for the iterative nature of design and to accommodate the insights gained at each stage of the process. Clearly it is creativity - the approach, skill, characteristic - which is increasingly demanded in how any situation, problem or opportunity is addressed. The creative process itself reflects the overall design process and is a series of events or actions taken to produce imaginative, but relevant approaches to a challenge.
The Creative Process The creative process has been described as comprising of five steps: CREATIVE PROCESS • Preparation • Incubation • Insight • Evaluation • Elaboration Embarking on a creative process is a journey of discovery requiring the ability to adapt to changing conditions encountered and to react to mistakes and backtrack if necessary.
Managing Design Projects All design project consist of three main ‘elements’. Design Strategy - where projects are conceived. The focus of this stage is on identifying and establishing the conditions in which projects can be delivered. Design Process - where projects are Developed and made visible through design Activities. This involves managing teams to to make thoughts and ideas presentable. Design Implementation - where project outcomes are delivered. This involves Decision making on materials and media and the controlling of the delivery of the final product to the client.
Design Phases Projects are temporary undertakings that have a definite beginning and end. This feature distinguishes them from the ongoing work within the design studio. Projects involve the combination of systems, techniques and people to control and monitor activities undertaken within the project.Within the three design elements of any successful project there are five main design activities: • Defining - review the brief, familiarization of client requirements • Planning - agree responsibilities, milestones, resources • Concept design - development and review of range of appropriate concepts • Concept development & evaluation - design refinement & prototype • Production & Deployment - setting up for publishing - print or screen Recognition and implementation of these activities are vital to allow projects to produce outcomes that perform as expected, by deadline and within cost limits.
Defining Phase The defining phase is concerned with deciding whether a project should begin and committing to do so. PROJECT INITIATION Project management skills are needed at the beginning of a project to ensure that the project is established with clear referenced terms and an appropriate management structure. Set specific goals and objectives before writing up a project proposal. OBJECTIVE SETTING You must have clear goals and objectives in order to have quantifiable targets to aim for. Ensure that all goals are feasible and how to achieve these goals efficiently.
Defining Phase Project Initiation: • Analysis of the problem and deciding what approach you are going to take. • Define the exact needs required to satisfy overall project goals (i.e. target audience, objectives). • A brainstorming session is important at this stage to allow all the key members of the team to contribute ideas to possible strategies and directions the project could take. Remember - sharing ideas between team members is vital. • A vision statement is required here. It is an outline of the concept of the project. It should be no more than 100 words and should not contain specific details. The most common failure of projects is the inability to correctly define the problem and to accurately define roles and responsibilities. If the goal is vague it could be impossible to know whether it has been solved or not.
Planning Phase A good project management plan should be a realistic understanding of requirements and should consider the following elements: • The project should be broken down into clear and concise manageable tasks. • All tasks should be self-contained but also be appropriately related and focused on getting the overall project done. • Be as specific as you possibly can about the activities you plan to undertake, the information to be collected and about the techniques you will use to implement your work. • Good and regular communication between team members is key to avoiding problems later.
Planning Phase Research and Fact Finding: • Gather, read, eliminate, use research and facts in order to provide a realistic judgement as to the overall feasibility of the project. Pay particular attention to target audience, the tasks that may be involved, the equipment necessary, design styles and techniques that may be useful in generating and developing ideas. Generating Ideas: • Thumbnails, roughs, preliminary visuals. Tasks: • Once a workable solution has been developed a list of specific tasks can be drawn up. For instance, determine what exactly needs to be done (i.e. a video clip might require actors). Determine resources- list and prioritise. Plan Ahead: • Schedule tasks and activities, what printer, quotes, or specialised finishing techniques required, do you need to use photographic studio etc.- some facilities may need to be booked in advanced.
Planning Phase The three principle considerations of the Planning Phase are: • Performance Specification: Human resources, raw materials and appropriate equipment and software must be specified and organised. • Time Scheduling: Estimate the times for each individual stage of the task as well as a realistic deadline. Be as accurate as possible as the success of the phase depends on the accuracy of the time estimates. • Money/Budget: All costs of the project should be listed.
Implementing Phase The Implementing Phase is concerned with co-ordinating people and other resources to carry out the project plan. Teamwork is an integral part of this phase. Regular meetings should be set up as strong communication is vital. Design & Development stage This is where potential solutions are evaluated and the visual development of the product is worked on, leading towards the production of a working prototype or proof. Implementation Stage After the product has been developed to the required stage it will be presented to the client for approval.
Controlling Phase The Controlling Phase is concerned with ensuring project objectives are met by monitoring and measuring progress and taking corrective action when necessary. Controlling is the central activity during implementation. The most important tool in this process is the plan that was developed to define the three parameters of the project - specifications, schedule and budget. These are the standards against which performance is measured. Controlling involves three steps: • Establishing Standards • Monitoring Performance • Taking Corrective Action
Completing Phase The Completing Phase is concerned with formalising acceptance of the project and bringing it to an orderly end. The main importance of this phase is to obtain client acceptance of the project result. This means that the client agrees that the quality specifications of the project brief have been achieved. The project may or may not be complete when presented to the client. Often there are documentation requirements such as operating manuals, complete proofs and a final report which usually follow delivery. The final step of any project should be an evaluation review. This is a look back over what was learned that will contribute to the success of future projects.
Team Work Good team management is vital. The difficulty is that productively integrating a team’s many personalities and disciplines while maintaining both equilibrium and creative tensioncan be a sophisticated undertaking. Overly hierarchical structures can nurture political behavior and reduce trust, independence, and risk-taking. However, clear boundaries and understanding of roles and responsibilities usually give greater focus and intensity to the team effort. Too much distance or diversity between between team members can result in misunderstandings, conflict and the breakdown into tribes. Too much homogeneity (similarity and replication of team skills and roles) and creativity gives way to non-productive group-think. REMEMBER - Whatever the objective, effective teamwork requires a well considered framework to allow for team members to operate as partners within a creative enterprise.
