FDD for Web Development - Web Development Methodology

Since this first application of FDD to Web development in 2000, I've worked to refine the process and have come up with an approach that has worked effectively on dozens of Web projects ranging in size from 2 weeks to 6 months. This refined approach uses the core of FDD, but introduces new elements to manage some of the areas that FDD doesn't cover. Below is a high-level overview of how FDD can be successfully applied to Web development.

Project Overview

Although it is not explicitly stated among the 5 processes of FDD, it is an important that every FDD project has clarity of purpose. This need be no more than a simple statement to define what the project is, and what it's supposed to achieve.

Organisation Purpose

This might seem like a redundant element of a project. The organisation's purpose should be clear but, although it might be obvious to the client, it might not be obvious to the developer. Writing a single paragraph that explains why the organisation exists is an important step. Of course, this is often easier said than done; for smaller clients, the purpose is not always clear and this question can sometimes generate a very blank look! Still, it's well worth the effort to ask, as this knowledge can really help when it comes to the next step of working out the project's purpose.

Project Purpose

Once again, this constitutes a very simple statement, but it's often much harder to define a project's purpose that it seems. Most clients have many thoughts, wishes, expectations and desires wrapped up in what they describe as their "Website". In reality, the work must be defined as a project, with a clear purpose that everyone understands and agrees to. The Purpose should be a clear, concise and measurable statement of the business outcomes that the project is intended to achieve.

Project Objectives

The specific objectives of the project must be clearly defined. A series of bullet points is fine; the act of thinking this through and getting the client's agreement is the most important aspect of this part of the project overview.

Consider this example, which suggests objectives that might be identified for ACME, an auto parts manufacturer:

"The objectives behind the redevelopment are as follows:"

• Unify ACME's corporate image worldwide.
• Build a commercially oriented Website projecting a simple, sharp, professional, advanced and confident tone, and one which puts user-friendliness first.
• Ensure the design of the Website adheres to the ACME Group Website Basic Guide Version 1.0.
• Use the Website as a positioning tool to position ACMO as a technology-driven, leading global supplier of automotive parts, systems and components.
• Provide the ability for ACME to update the site in-house using a content management system (CMS).

Project Scope

Understanding and defining a project's scope is a challenging task. Once again, clients usually want to include everything and expect everything to be done for them. I'm not bad-mouthing clients -- anyone who's familiar with the concept of scope creep will understand my point here.

The key is to get an idea of what's in and what's out of the Website. I recommend the use of a technique that was defined many years ago and states simply what's in, what's out, and what might be considered. This is a great tool for getting clients to understand all the elements involved in a project. Here's how it might appear for our fictional ACME auto parts business:

Target Market

Once again, this is an important consideration. Many sites are constructed without proper regard for the target audience. To say that a site is aimed at the client's customers is not enough. We need to understand the demographics of that customer base and if we have to target one part of that customer base, we need to know which one it is.

In reality, most sites have a number of target markets that need to be addressed. What proves to be a more practical approach is to think of it in terms of primary, secondary and tertiary target markets.

Content

The main difference between traditional software projects and Web development projects is the nature of content. Most Web projects entail a large amount of content. A Website may be an application or a hypertext system (eg. pages of content). Most projects are a combination of the two, in which case both aspects must be addressed. For projects with a large amount of content, information architecture and design become important elements of the project's success.

Information Architecture

In its most simple form, information architecture can be thought of as a sitemap. IA is the logical structuring of content to suit the purpose of the site. Although this seems like a straight-forward task, the importance of this process should not be underestimated.

A well-structured site will be easier for people to use, and will be much easier to maintain. A good example of a poorly architectured Website is one in which users quickly turn to the search facility to find the information they want.

Information Design

Most people now understand the concept of a site map and many can put a reasonable one together. The next level, which is far more sophisticated, is to look at the design of information on the page: the information design. The current trend is towards the three column layout with a header and footer: