Effective technical strategy and planning
for websites and mobile apps*
* Planetary invasions not included
Sally Jenkinson
Hi!
Sally Jenkinson @sjenkinson
www.sallyjenkinson.co.uk
TODAY’S SESSION
Why do we plan?
Examples of how you may want to plan.
Explore what the impact of your !ndings may be.
…and what we’re not covering…
WHY DO WE PLAN?
http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2012/10/18/whats-your-problem-putting-purpose-back-into-your-projects/
Before we asked “how do we build?” we asked “what is the right thing to build?”
“
”
xh#p://www.flickr.com/photos/ikhnaton2/533233247/
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
I’ve !gured out what went wrong.
“”Well that’s a very useful
revelaBon to have when you’re standing in front of an airlock.
“
”
Better understanding of needs Complexities, limitations Possibilities previously unknown More accurate estimates Avoid roadblocks mid-project
= More effective projects
“So here’s the signed off plan for the app functionality!”
“Oh… yeah… so I looked at the API docs and we can’t get that data after all. Sorry.”
“Have you got any ideas for the new app?”
“Yeah, did you know that the API exposes the location of nearby Cylon sleeper agents? We can totally use that.”
?
THE SCENARIO
A new project opportunity…
The result =
AT THIS POINT IT’S ALWAYS FUN TO
ASK…
BACK TO OUR BRIEF
EXPLORE What do they really need?
The usual questions
1
“We have no budget.”
“We need it delivered in two weeks.”
We just assumed two weeks would be enough. How much time do you
recommend?
“
”
Client starting points
2
“We would like to release an app to the public.”
“We have developed a system… we don’t know anything about it.”
“Open Source Web 3.0… free”
“HTML5… we hear that helps SEO”
Standard process 3
Technical planning for websites and
apps
Starting points
Content management
Data migration
Analytics
Forms
Management processes
Resource
Estimates
Deployment
Pro!ling/personalisation
Testing
Social
Performance
CRM
Advertising
Payment processing
Languages
Ecommerce
Search
Video
Third party integration
Admin processes
Hosting
CDN
Devices
Functionality
Managed?
Existing or new?
Specification/requirements
Bandwidth expectations
Personas
Traffic sources
Goals
Mobile/app tracking
Review current
data
Identify existing issues
Tracking implementation
planFeed into test plan/marketing/
features
Which languages?
Layout implications
(Arabic, Japanese etc)
Languages required for admin area?
Content translation
process
Geolocation
TLD/URL planning
Same content translated across
all, or tailored content and IA?
Risk management
Skill sets Availability
Time tracking
Sign off process
Bug tracking
Feature/improvement
backlog
Change management
Version control
Automation
Process? Multiple
environments?
Third party involvement/client
requirements?
Accessibility requirements
Browsers
ToolsActual
QA process
Benchmarks
Performance/load/stress
Security
Audits
SSL
Data protection
Backups
Disaster recovery/failover
Objectives
Best practice/
competitors
Optimisation
Licensing
What problems are there at the
moment?
Areas used frequently
Can we tie together multiple systems to streamline admin
tasks?
Editors using devices to
admin?
Online/offline considerations
Open source policy
What areas need to be managed?
Technology dependencies
Skill sets available
Existing infrastructure/components
Content planning
Existing systems
Is this currently used to manage data elsewhere?
How is data
stored?
Assets
Web content
Accounts/passwords
Secure info
What can be managed at
the moment?
No. of concurrent admin users
Number/types of servers/
environment config
Creation of APIs
API specs - inputs, outputs,
methods, formats
Is what is being used/
recommended the best match?
What alternatives are
available?
Apps
Mobile web
DRM
Distribution channels
Hardware access
requirements
Discovery/marketing strategy
Existing 'non-mobile friendly'
content
SSO
CRM
Newsletter
E-commerce
Event management/
booking
Real-time data
Caching/redundancy
planning
Third party link out
experience
Widgets
Technology/standards
alignment?
301 redirects
Automated/manual
Functional
User account migration Who is doing
this? Responsibilities
Amount of dynamic content
Streaming
Security offerings
Policies and compliance
Load balancing
Regions to serve
Expected traffic spikes
Form actions - where is the
data going and why?
Validation
What data needs to be collected?
Consume
Export
UGC
Moderation
Pre
Post
Custom object
mapping
Marketing strategy - what could be useful that isn't
there?
Direct integration or
checking process?
Encoding input
formats
Encoding output formats
Pre-roll/post-roll/in-video contextual advertising
Custom designed
player
Is player compatible
with devices?
Subtitles/transcripts
Wireframe review
MonitizationTargeting specific devices?
Existing app/mobile site?
Enhancements possible
Retina images
Currencies
Card types
Internationally popular social
networks
Subscription
Processing costs
On-site/off-site
processing
Visual customisability of third party
interface
Format of transactions - micro, batch
etcRefund process
Taking, or making
payments?
Integration with publishing
process/caching
Page/content element based
Results relevance
Faceted search filters
Predictive search
Coding standards
Any libraries in use at present
Logging and error handling
Existing Internet
Merchant Bank Account
Number of SKUs
Currencies
Loyalty schemes
Promos/discount
types
Same products in all
territories?
Tax
Visual customisation of results - e.g. buy
now links for products
Shipping and fulfilment
Product types
Product meta data
Stock management
In-app e-commerce restrictions
Unit tests
Caching strategy
Results sorting
Custom search landing
pages
Marketing intelligence
Content sync
Visual customisation possibilities
Content model
Social interaction
trackingEmail
campaign tracking
Goals/filter setup
Cross-site/subdomain
tracking
Diagram by Sally Jenkinson - www.sally.jenkinson.co.uk - @sjenkinson
Manual ad selection / dynamic
Third party Responsive design
variants
www.sallyjenkinson.co.uk/starBngpoints/
h#p://www.sxc.hu/photo/1399510/
? The right people
APP
CMS Website
APP
APP Replicant cat
detection system
Respect the developers! !
In our scenario… !
Summary: investigation
=
MATCH SOLUTIONS What is the best way to build this?
With permission from Kropserkel - http://kropserkel.com
Are you using technology appropriately?
“An app” (Presumed iPhone, built natively) Cheap, quick Limited functionality No time to make it CMS-driven “Open Source Web 3.0” = the client must be
dumb, we can give them anything!
Our initial understanding
Use existing CMS Time to investigate the detection system fully
& prototype - educated functional/UI decisions
App decision con!rmed Client con!dence, relationship strengthened
After technical planning
GET FEEDBACK How do others feel about this?
Tailor your communication
appropriately !
“We want to sell things! Can we have a shop in our app?”
WAIT!
As with any grand plan, some things just don’t
work, and others change.
ROADMAP Technical planning is for life, not
just for Christmas.
THE PLAN
THANK YOU
@sjenkinson www.sallyjenkinson.co.uk [email protected]
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