[thelist] Site Review Please

[Jenn Coker]

>> committee of people decided on what exactly they
>> wanted.

>committees are notoriously inept... you can tell 'em i said that,
>too... i know that doesn't help, but "design by committee" is a well-
>known euphemism for "crap"... at least around here...

I have to add that I agree and am writing because I've just recently been
super impressed with a new client.  The client has a board ...made up of
individuals, each of them feeling like it's their own personal web site and
their own personal need to better that web site..

This structure obviously made me shake in my shoes as I'm estimating a flat
fee for them so I open that up in the "pre-contract" exchanges - I made
mention that they will have deadlines as well.. Additionally, any revisions
beyond the first set (post-comps) will be charged at an hourly rate "though
with direct and timely communication, the chances of needing multiple
revisions should be limited"....

THANKFULLY to my surprise, I got response back that, "Jenn, I will be the
only person making the decisions on the site (snip) ... The last thing we
need is a committee deciding on art"  I mean think about it.. even if it's
details of backend functionality they are deciding on.. it's like taking a
committee to a gallery and saying, "Now everyone decide which is the best
painting".. there's NO way you're getting out of there with ONE decision..
no way. It's an impossibility. My adv: set major ground rules early on for
this kind of client and you might get out alive before you go broke.  It's
doing them a favor as well.. their goal, afterall is a working web site..
not the same opinion.