At Studio Seventeen, we work on lots of different types of projects.
Some projects have a definite start and end but some projects such as websites don’t have a definite end point.
Most websites are ongoing pieces of work that continue to evolve. However, it is necessary to draw a line after a website is published. This is the time to undergo a post project review and to include everyone that worked on that project in the discussion.
The point of doing a post project review is to determine what went well, what could be improved on, and even what didn’t go so well. This should help everyone make the next project even better.
What went well?
An example of this could be, was the client happy with the end result? This may include discussions on the project timeline, achieving the deadline or simply how communication was with the client. If things went well then acknowledge that and let everyone involved know that too.
What could be improved on?
Managing client amends is a common issue and can differ with each project. Sticking to an agreement can be trickier than you think sometimes. It’s good to have an agreed number of amends within a project but ‘scope creep’ can sometimes occur. This is adding additional features or functions of a new product, requirements, or work that is not authorised (i.e., beyond the agreed-upon scope).
What didn’t go so well?
If there is something that happened during the project that didn’t go so well, then that needs to be fixed. It is not productive to continue working like this so work towards resolving the issue and try not to let it happen again. Each project will be different from the last and will bring up different issues. Don’t treat them as a problem, treat them as a challenge.
Conclusion:
Post project reviews are the most effective way for teams to improve their performance and skill sets. I find it’s a great way of getting everyone to contribute to a discussion, to work on improving how we function as a team, and to determine how we can better ourselves and the work we produce.
