Tools and methodologies used in a project... D1
Microsoft Project...
Microsoft Project was used as the main source of where I
draw my Gantt chart on, this enabled me to open it up add new tasks in tick off
already completed ones and make adjustments to tasks which were running up a
little bit late. This was also good as it gave us specific guide line when to
complete each tasks by. Mile stones allowed key points and vital changes of
projects points to be identified; from designing to coding is just one place
this vital change point was occurring. This clear change in structure showed everyone
how the project is about to differ from before.
Initiation:
We decided to make a project /website on the items of
selling GPS hiking gear aimed at youth particular at the Duke of Edinburgh
award. We made the idea (business case) come to life by giving a presentation
to our client. Giving us specific time limits and deadline for when the project
needs to be completed by and how many pages the website should include (15). This was very important so each member of the
team knows what they are doing and when it’s has to be completed by, because if
don’t the project can fail.
Planning and Designing:
We started planning which pages should be done by who and
how and what they should include in them, we gave each other time scales to
match and when our own ways to create the wire frames and sitemaps for the
website.
Create wire frames:
Used Paint and iPlotz both program can be used to create
wireframes for a website. Both programs where fairly easy to work with, yet
iPlotz because it was an online program it allowed me to edit the design from
every computer with a internet access which makes the designing, easier to keep
track of and most of all access. Paint is a program which is pre-installed on
all PC’s, the images draw are saved as JPG or PNG file type formats which later
they can still be edited. iPlotz is a paid for service but does offer 5
designs where users can try it for free, in paint the user can make as many
different pictures as she/he may want.
Making Sitemap:
The site map shows how everything gets linked together
between the website and from what page the person can go and cannot. This can
be achieves by using Microsoft Visio, this program allows the lines to be drawn
and pre installed images can be used. This is crucial if there is no layout of
how the pages are going to be link there will be broken links.
Execution
Komodo edit is tool that enables the creation of websites
this allowed us to type in the coding and then see what the actually website
will look like on a Brower. Komodo edit has this tool build in its self
allowing us to only work on the coding where we can see later what the coding
will look like on a Browser without physically going on to programs such
Internet Explorer (Browser). This tool proved to save time but also made it
easier by not doing the extra work if the page was created on note pad, the
preview buffer in browser button also enabled the page to be opened in a external
browser which also proved to save time by not having to look for the file but
open it with a click of a button. I used the latest Komodo edit 7, which has
the function of predicting text, this meant that every time I wrote such things
as <li> it will predict </li> straight after it giving me the
ending, making it easier by not having to type it out but also making sure that
the website will function correctly by making sure it’s W3C compliant. The
coding also was underlined every time something was spelled wrong or there was
just no need for it to be there, also helping to make the website W3C
compliant. This program enables to view a number of documents rather than the
conventional one allowing jumping between files to copy/paste or just view the
source. This program also allows the user to open a different project folder
yet still viewing the original project opened, this allowed me to copy my teams
work in to the software which then I saved in order to make it into my own
work. Automated space from left hand side allows each item to be viewed
separated and also making it easier to read, this allowed the work to be viewed
quicker as well as indentifying if any mistakes are made when coding. CSS
coding was used for making everything look pretty and adjust the size, fonts
and width between text, pictures and boxes.
Keeping track, Monitoring and Control
At the very begging we needed decide who is doing, this
was done though a meeting to decide such factors, a agenda and minuets where
used to track and say what the meeting took place about, what was decided and
the action needed to be taken. Other meeting also took place to decide which
design should be used for our final design and also a meeting with the clients.
They were all done using this method of using agenda and minuets. This tool
enabled us to find out exactly what the meeting was about and give us a chance
to reflect on the project.
Blogger was a method that we
used used for communication, this enables the team to post their
progress on their blog enabling to understand whether they are on time with
deadlines or just a method of telling the other team members of what they are
up to. This is important as bad communication between team members can result
to failing the project.
Monitoring what was happening with my team was a fairly
hard task as Remy only had a email address which I can only write to, as
Abduls monitoring was done a little bit easier as he had a mobile phone which I
can call to. When it comes to communication the telephone is the best way as I
found out this way I always knew at what stage Abdul is, unlike Remy which took
a bit of time to find out exactly what is going on.
Closing
The presentation was done on time after few adjustments to
my Gantt chart, the final presentation was shown and although few changes
needed to occur the project was a successful one.
Project Control
The was monitored throughout the whole process, this was
important as all the deadlines needed to be meant of project altered in order
for the project to be a successes full. If they were not monitored deadlines
will be missed the website will be incomplete and the project would of simply failed.
