RodeWorks

In Web design projects it is the content that really counts, right? In time allocation, I normally figure planning the content inventory, organization and functional needs is easily 60% of the work. Another 20% on front-end goals, and the final 20% on visual design. So why do most clients seem to only want to focus on the visual look? And never seem to get around to the content?

Just in the last year I’ve had two clients with content-delay syndrome. In one case they sat on a finished design, while a temporary page occupied their domain for 12 months. I’d periodically check in to see how everything was going, and got the “oh, yeah, I’m getting ready to get on that” type response. But it took some serious effort to bring that to delivery. And in the second case the department has been missing from the main web site for a timeframe coming up on 8 months, with no end in site. It is nice to see that this is not an uncommon issue. And the suggestion of including an editor on the project design team sounds promising.

A List Apart: Articles: The Cure for Content-Delay Syndrome

Editors also have project management skills. They can set tasks and schedules. They can make sure our writers meet their milestones.