How to Make a Profit on Web Design Projects

Keep Your Clients Happy by Staying Within Scope and On Budget

How profitable are your website design and development projects? Is "scope creep" a dreaded but ongoing problem? At this month's Spark panel discussion, we ask three experts to give us the dirty details. We'll talk about what it means to properly define the scope of web projects and how to project manage from start to finish for a streamlined, efficient process that makes everyone happy. We'll discuss:

• how to talk to your client to really understand their needs, their budget, and their timeline
• how to maximize your profit on smaller projects
• how to prevent losing money on projects
• when and how to package your services for clients what processes to put into place to make the project as efficient as possible

Krista Chambers is the project/product manager for JPD Studio, a design and development firm based on New York. After kicking off her post-collegiate career as a journalist covering state politics, legislation and election news, Krista made what now feels like a natural jump to the design/tech world, working in project management, strategy and product management. She moved to New York City in 2006 and joined the JPD Studio team in April 2009. She loves the creativity and challenges in project/product management and loves finding project solutions that meet and exceed client goals. She feels lucky to have worked with the same team so well for so long and is particularly passionate about working with nonprofits and business/organizations that seek to empower women.

As the Director of User Experience & Design at DOOR3, Michael Montecuollo has been with the company since 2007. He is tasked with overseeing all enterprise, web, and mobile user experience work for the company. Michael has played a critical role in DOOR3's success including work for companies such as Bowne, Elizabeth Arden, Fresh Direct, HP, New Balance, and Teach For America. In addition to his project work, Michael also serves as a consultant to DOOR3's strategic partner, EMC, in their user experience and strategic digital endeavors. Michael holds a bachelor's degree in Information Technology and Informatics from Rutgers University and is a member of the New York City chapter of the Usability Professionals Association and Interaction Design Association.

Beverly Stacy, owner of Façade Interactive, a full service web design/development company that helps small to medium size companies, sole proprietors and startups with all their web related needs including brochure websites with content management systems such as Word Press/Joomla/Drupal, e-commerce web sites, e-blasts, and any other custom development. Beverly comes from the original dot.com days of website development. She taught herself HTML by making a website of all her travels and got her first job hand coding websites back in 1998. Since then she and has built up a team now of 7 programmers and a project manager. Her business model is an onshore, offshore model, where she works/resides in New York City (Greenpoint, Brooklyn), but her team of programmers are all in an office in Debrecen Hungary under the supervision of her partner Hunor Sebestyen.

Moderated by Heidi Trost, Owner and Director of UX at HT Design Studio.