Hello, this is Director Oyabuchi.
It's already been two years since I made the switch from being a coder to being a director. At first, all I could do was deliver projects successfully, but through projects with various clients, I began to see "what is important in web production" from a different perspective.
This time, from the perspective of a director, I would like to talk about the key points of how to interact with clients in web production.
Having a client's perspective
I changed jobs from a coder to a director, and went from being the one "hands-on" during production to being the one "not hand-on." That changed me greatly.
This means that we are now in a position to connect clients and creators.
It goes without saying that it is important to work with in-house staff from the perspective of a producer, but I feel that what is even more important is the sense of "collaborating with the client" from the client's perspective.
We will explain what it means to collaborate with a client by following a specific production process.
1. Make a schedule that takes into account the timing of internal checks
The schedule is the core of production. It is decided carefully, taking into consideration the project and the client's situation.
This is a schedule that is created at the start of a project, but when deciding on it, I think it is important to take into special consideration the "client's internal approval flow."
Is it possible for the client's staff alone to review and approve the proposal?
Will confirmation and approval from my supervisor or the president be required?
The time it takes to finalize a proposal varies greatly depending on the client's situation.
In one previous project I was in charge of, the approval of the president, who was overseas, was required, and it took more than a week for the design and other proposed details to be finalized.
We may ask to adjust the confirmation period due to deadlines, but generally we proceed with production according to the client's situation, so it is important to have a firm understanding of the client's approval flow.
The schedule is not something that can be decided solely based on the production side's convenience.
Only by sharing information with the client can we come up with a schedule that truly needs to be adhered to. I believe this is the first step to making a project a success.
2. We intend to create the manuscript and photos together.
As production progresses, you will need "production materials" such as photographs, images, manuscripts, etc. to be posted on the site.
Regarding the photos, the production team may take the photos themselves, but it is necessary to consult with the client in advance about what the content will be photographed and for the client to arrange for people and locations for the shoot.
Also, when creating illustrations, we propose rough drafts and reference images, decide on the tone and rules, and create something that meets the client's wishes.
We also check the manuscript carefully. There are various things, from the catch copy to the lead text, the long body of the text, and whether or not rewriting is required. We listen to the client's ideas for the content, and in some cases we ask the client to prepare the original text.
When the client prepares these production materials, I always use wireframes.
To make it easier for clients to create materials, we have written on the wireframes so that they can see at a glance what is needed for which part of each page.
By utilizing wireframes, you can reliably share with your client the current status of what has been uploaded and what has not been uploaded on each page.
Wireframes that incorporate photos, images, and manuscript details. An essential resource for collecting materials.
When gathering materials for a page like this, we believe it is important not to simply make a request to the client, but for us on the production side to take the lead and have the mindset of "making decisions together with the client."
3. The real thing is finally here. We'll make sure we divide up our roles.
For the final stage of production, which is the actual release, it is necessary to confirm and decide on the division of roles in preparation for release.
for example,
It is necessary to thoroughly check in advance what will happen to the server and who will be responsible for the publication work.
Sometimes the client will prepare the server and even handle the publishing process.
The production side will need to provide support, such as proposing an appropriate server environment that meets the requirements, checking the server in advance, and specifying the destination for uploading files.
Of course, when the production side is handling the publishing process, it is important to work in cooperation with the client, reporting the status at each stage, such as "We will start working on it now," "We are currently working on it," and "Publishing is complete."
The actual release is the most tense moment for both the client and the production team.
I think it's important for the production team to be flexible and adapt to the client's situation at the time of release.
summary
The web production process itself rarely changes significantly across various projects, but I feel that even within a set process, there are many times when the production side needs to change its approach depending on the client's situation.
Things that are necessary for web production that I didn't realize when I started coding.
This means sharing information thoroughly with the client and thinking about how to get involved and move the project forward.
I believe I will continue to notice new things with each project, but I would like to continue accumulating these realizations and become a director who can guide both clients and the production team to ensure a pleasant release.
モノサスアーカイブ