Thread: Help Understanding Customer Request

Hi,
This is Todd from Grimm Web Design.
I was hired by a gentleman that's starting a Project Management site, and I'm trying to get my arms wrapped around what he's actually looking for.
These are some of the ideas that he's looking for on the site:

1. Let users show their Portfolio, so that project managers can browse portfolios and hire them

2. Implement a Country and Category Rankings on the Project Listings

3. Connect the site to a Payment Gateway so that project managers and freelancers can pay each other

4. Build some Project Management tools into the site- like Document uploads (later on)

The site address is 1200projects.com
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

Todd

I dunno Todd......I would think that as a "Web Designer" you would know how to plan a website, and already be familiar with rudimentary technologies to implement your plan......

On the flip side, I would be happy to design this site and explain how to build it.....for a standard fee.

To me is sounds like he wants a website where both project managers and freelancers can come and register on the website. They post their information to the website so they can find a project/get people to work on a project. When someone submits a project its gets listed categorically on the website, he wants it to be listed by both country and category.
He wants the website to be able to the intermediary for the payments. The project managers pay the people that they found to work on the project through the site. (Something like paypal would probably work), and wants tools to aid the project managers like being able to upload documents related to the project.

You should probably clear up whether he wants you to just design it or implement all of these features. I'm guessing by you wondering what to do you don't know how to implement the features. If that is the case you should probably contact the guy who hired you and make sure they are aware of this.

Like I said, knowing how to plan a website is simply the first critical step, let alone knowing which utilities or configurable technologies might best provide the functionality desired.....something that needs to be considered before undertaking such a responsibility despite any "title" self-presented.

For instance, knowing the advantages and limitations of both a Classifieds or Forum utility might inspire a solution worth pursuing, in contrast to the pleathora of CRM/CMS and even Joomla foundations.......all of which require their own set of expertise and thinking tools....if, as a "newebby," the attempt is to use whatever is "free" first.....

Unfortunately, it seems many bite off more than they can chew, and it is always the customer who is left standing.

>> The suggestion to go back to the client to detail the requirements is your first and best remedy.