In this post, part 2 of 3, we will pick up where we left off on Doing Web-Based Communications Right.  As you may recall, in part one we talked about:

• Purpose
• Guiding Principles
• and Desired Outcome

At this point in the process, you should know what purpose your project serves, what rules you are going to play by, and what wild success looks like.

What’s next?

Brainstorm

Now is the time to think about all the components your project will encompass.  These components will most likely be the top-level parts of your project.  For example, if your web-based communication project is a web site, your brainstorm may produce items like:

• domain name
• web hosting
• content development
  • writing
  • images
• visual design
• customer database
• search engine optimization

The idea here is to think about as many possibilities as you can—impose no limits on your thinking.

Once you have completed Brainstorming the next step is to Organize Tasks.

Organize Tasks

At this step you breakdown the top-level components into specific tasks that will move the project forward. Every task should be executable. If something you are looking at is too abstract, as in you can’t actually perform the task, you need to break it down further. One key is to write each task as if a person was only going to see that task AND they are only 5 years old.

“Create report for meeting” is not going to cut it when you look at it alone. What report? What meeting?

To continue using the example above I will take the first item from the Brainstorm list.

Domain Name

1. Decide on the spelling of domain name by listing at least 5 choices in descending order
2. Go online to www.instantdomainsearch.com and type in your choices
3. Select one domain name and purchase it
4. Print and file copies of all contact and registration information

I think from this example above you get the idea.

So from here you have completed the process of defining your project and what it will take to get it done. What’s next?

That will be in our next installment, Part 3 of 3 of Doing Web-Based Communications Right.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.