RE: Web Development Guidelines for Multiple Authors?

Hello Ryan,

> Has anyone had any experience or know of
> guidelines that have been drawn up
> for organizations that have multiple web authors?

I can't find your original post (I get the digest
version) so I am only going by Peter and Roger's
responses.

I believe what you are asking about is a Document
Standard (doc standard). In a nutshell, at the start
of any project, and after feasibility studies,
Management along with the Project/Team Leader
(sometimes one and the same) establishes the standards
by which a project about to be developed will abide
by. A specific directory is created which contains all
the key files to be used and aid in the completion of
the project. Interpolation and changes are expected at
the beginning of the job.

In Web Design, the DOC Standard outlines many details
such as type of font used, color swatches, js, css
files, meta tag templates, HTML templates, emails..
etc. It can get lengthly and complicated to the point
of even assigning specific tasks to each member of a
team such as to whom or where are the files channeled
to and who will do the uploading to the server, or,
another example, is creating a subdirectory of
graphics for the artists who will, step by step,
create a brand or logo for the client, or what
websites where used for the research. The DOC Standard
is nothing else but a written instruction for which
every team member is responsible to know and refer to
during the development of the project. However, what
this directory does not contain, at least at my job,
is the actual contract, working statement, proposal,
marketing plan, etc. as they are part of upper
management.

I can think of many good reasons to have the DOC
Standard. For one, it can cut down a lot of
explanation and time if one team member leaves and
another takes his/her place. A graphic designer can
easily follow the instructions left by another artist
when changing or recreating a logo.  Another example
is if the client, in good standing with our firm, asks
us for their site because they want to updated it
themselves. Example, a large Real Estate firm with 200
or so agents, where each needs to upload their
properties on a consistent basis. 

Hope this helps...

Nora Scandella
http://home.earthlink.net/~kktua

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