All our project communication is run through a project management web application called Basecamp. We also do a lot of work on the phone, the summary of which is often captured in a Basecamp so that it is the central “truth” of the project status and captures major project decisions. Our projects go through six phases:

1. Discovery
2. Design
3. Implementation
4. Feedback
5. Content Entry
6. Launch

Discovery

In the Discovery phase, we kick off the project and bring the client, designer, and project team to identify objectives, high level information architecture (if purchased), technology issues & assumptions, functionality and scope. Discovery can run from anywhere to several days to several weeks.

Design

This transitions to the design phase, that will primarily involve the client and the designer working closing together to work through the information architecture, wireframes and look and feel of the site. A technical representative from Monk will be involved to sanity check design decisions against technical capabilities. Based on our preliminary design scope, this will run 1-2 months depending on the number of stakeholders required for design approval and speed of response.

Implementation

In the Implementation phase, the actual building of out of your site happens. This is expected to run 1.5-2 months based on the current project scope. With how our system is setup, clients are added to the content manage system and given guidance on what content to preload while the site is being built. Upon initial completion, a detailed setup guide will be delivered to the client which will outline the specific ways we’ve configured the CMS to work with your site.

Feedback

Feedback is the following phase, "As you begin to put your own content on site, you'll begin to get a better feel for the site's end user experience. During this time, you may discover adjustments or additions that should be made to the site based on actual usage.You'll work through these with our project management team and we'll manage any change orders to the project at this time." Feedback is primarily captured through a combination of Basecamp “To Dos” and regular phone calls. An average timeline for reporting and fixing feedback is 3-4 weeks.

Content Entry

Content entry is an ongoing process from the beginning of the project. You'll be invited to begin entering basic content for your site as soon as the project kicks off. After the delivery of the site guide, you'll be able to put your design specific content in place. Our team will work closely with you to educate your content editors on how to use the CMS, best practices, and laying the groundwork necessary to take the site live.

Launch

Our team will work closely with the client to identify a target launch date and put together a final punch list of items to be completed prior to the launch. Once you are satisfied the site is working as you expect we can launch the site. Content readiness is typically the biggest delay for launching websites, this last phase of Feedback & into content entry will run anywhere from 2-8 months, depending on the complexity of the project and speed of your team.

Once the site is live, the project moves into the support phase. Sometimes there are major tasks that need to be completed post launch, we will move through mini-rounds of Design, Implementation, & Feedback as necessary. At some point, we will move out of Basecamp into our email-based support on an as-needed basis. We have setup design and development retainers with clients as they’ve requested it, as well as regular check ins to assess site performance, problems and new opportunities.