- Phase 4: Production and QA
- Establishing Guidelines
- Setting File Structure
- Slicing and Optimization
- Creating HTML Templates and Pages
- Implementing Light Scripting
- Populating Pages
- Integrating Backend Development
- Understanding Quality Assurance Testing
- Creating a QA Plan
- Prioritizing and Fixing Bugs
- Conducting a Final Check
- Phase 4 Summary
Integrating Backend Development
Communication between the backend development team and the front-end design and production teams has always been important, but at this point in the web development process, it becomes absolutely crucial. Suffering a lack of consistent communication is an exceptionally easy trap for any project to fall into, especially because some backend engineering can take months while the front-end is usually measured in weeks.
The logical place in the workflow for backend and front-end to integrate is during or right after all of the HTML pages are complete. At the beginning of the production phase, however, gather all front-end production and backend engineers, and work out a plan for integration and communication. What is the best way to create the HTML templates so that they can be handed off to the backend team for dynamic content population and programming? How much programming should be done in the HTML stage? How much experience with programming do the HTML production designers have? Which team will be responsible for inserting the actual backend code into the HTML pages? What is the timeline for integration? Who will be doing what to the templates from each team? A typical meeting will require the project managers or leads from both teams to meet. Key members from the development team should also be present, including the information designer and the art director. The technical specifications document and the Client Spec Sheet should be pulled out and reviewed by everyone.