The Art of Building the Right Web Design Team

The world of web design and development is often made up of teams of freelancers. There are the creatives and the nuts and bolts people. The creatives are your UX and UI designers, graphic artists, internet marketers, and writers for example. The nuts and bolts are the developers who bring those elements together to create the website. Ultimately, the success of the product is determined by how well each team member performs. You remember those group projects in school that nobody liked because you had to rely on your classmates to pull their weight? That was practice for building the right team for your business.

What are their credentials?

When we talk about credentials, it is extremely important that your team members have had formal training in their field. If they have five to 10 years of proven experience, more than likely they’ve been certified or hold a degree in their profession. Ask for those credentials. In most of these disciplines, you don’t want to hire someone who’s still wearing their training wheels. Don’t forget to check their references! So many business owners ask contractors for references, but never follow up to verify the accuracy of the information. There should be former clients and employers on the list. If not, keep moving.

Can they deliver?

You can have the most creative designer on your team, one whose ideas come to life effortlessly, but she’s always two or three days late finishing the projects. Some people have great vision and seemingly endless talent, but they aren’t cut out to work on deadlines. These aren’t the people you want on your team because they will hold up the whole web design project. Other team members may be relying on that person’s part of the project and can’t move forward without it. This is devastating to your ability to deliver what your client expects in a timely manner.

Is it Ever Okay to Hire a Newbie?

The answer is, yes. Sometimes people who are new to their chosen profession are very good at what they do because they are passionate about learning how to do it well. They haven’t had time to pick up bad habits or become complacent with routine projects. This can make them a strong asset on your team, one that complements the seasoned professionals, but it depends on which role they will fill and how skilled they are in their craft as to whether or not they’re worth the risk. Ask them for a test run to demonstrate their abilities. The test will reveal if they can deliver on two important criteria: their skill level and their ability to meet deadlines.

Building a cohesive web design and development team requires time and effort. Hastily throwing a group together can cost time and resources in the long run. Be thorough, listen, and ask pertinent questions that will help you identify if they’re a good fit for your project and your business. Look for people who compliment each other in both talent and personality. When you have the right group working together, the sky is the limit.

 

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Published On: Feb 12, 2016