This is not my first book on the subject and although I’m only on chapter 3, I can say that I agree with most of the things I’ve read so far. The other positive feeling I get about this book is that (at least in my case) it is very close to the reality of my job.

Shelford and Remillard describe in quite a successful way what really happens when you’re trying to manage complex web projects.

The chapter I’m currently reading is about “communication playing a key role in project management”. Here are some excerpts:

Communication is composed of much more than just speech. The effective communicator will use all the available communication tools at his disposal to get his message across. These include writing, body language, listening, tone of voice, and even dress. (page 56)

and

[...] Communicating is your most vital skill as you manage a Web project through to its completion. (ibid.)

As I wrote earlier, I agree with the authors. Communicating with everyone involved in a project is essential if you want to avoid assumptions or misunderstandings for example. Even if writing reports and talking to your colleagues can be a time-consuming exercise sometimes.

Speaking of colleagues, I have a comment on the interaction you need to have with them during a project. You can be the best communicator on earth, you can be the smartest person too, you can be patient and nice to everyone, but there is never a guarantee that your message will go through.

The reasons why a communication can fail are multiple and are intrinsic to the communication process and this is something that everyone should be aware of when interacting with other project team members.

[...]be aware of the challenges of organizing information on the Web. Language is ambiguous, content is heterogeneous, people have different perspectives, and politics can rearits ugly head.

(Chapter 5: Organization Systems, p. 74)

Of all these challenges, politics is certainly the most complex and exhausting one…

[...] thoughtful planning and well-designed Information Architecture improves

• Findability – Allowing customers to easily access those items they need, be they spatulas or term papers.
• Usability – Allwowing customers to wend their way to those items and accomplish the tasks the most want to accomplish, and ultimately
• Understandability – A good architecture provides infrastructure needed to help people make knowledge out of information.

Wodtke’s book was written back in 2003 but it’s worth reading it.