Always under construction: Websites that are never “finished”

Websites have become constantly evolving platforms that underpin entire organisations. The lifespan of a web project starts just before launch and continues for a number of years. To build an effective site we must plan for the full life cycle - not just the relatively small initial build. This talk will cover the theory, practice and pains of changing a business to focus on long term digital strategy.

Building sites that never finish requires a change in approach: for the business, the client and the developers. So many priorities change when you consider the long term, rather than simply the immediate. Over the last few years, while changing our focus, we have learned a few things:

• Digital business continuity is about people and process - not just technology.

• Product management allows us to cope with “infinite” scope

• There is no project plan, so create and maintain a digital road map

• The distinction between building and maintaining is artificial

• The right internal development processes need to support ongoing development

As organisations of all shapes and sizes begin to take their online presence seriously, the technology companies now need to become guides and educators. We cannot develop successful digital projects if our clients don’t let us. As Drupal moves into a whole new phase, so must the business ecosystem that supports it.

Peter Brownell is CEO of Code Positive. He established the UK Drupal community and has been a professional developer for 20 years. Over the last 10 years he has built has trained many Drupal teams, established a government recognised Drupal apprenticeship and built one of the first UK education startups. Since 2012 he has been working with a number of large digital agencies around the world to help them understand software development processes.