New approaches to projects and clients

April 9, 2010

For some time, I have been thinking about how Web design agencies function. My observation is that most agencies take their approach to projects from the print world. The model was project-based. It worked in the print world. But Web is a different animal.

Web sites are not “done” once they have been designed and launched. Successful sites need attention. Sites are more like organisms, they are dynamic and alive. I have seen so many sites over the years launch and then become stagnant and obsolete because they were not cared for and given ongoing attention.

Josh Porter wrote about this same issue last summer. It was the first time that I saw someone identify and address this issue.

One agency that is addressing this issue is Merge in Greenville, South Carolina. They have developed what they call a “partnership model.” I don’t know as much about it as I would like to, but I am intrigued by the little bit I have read. I am excited that Merge will be putting on a Webinar on April 21 called A New Way to Web. They are going to share more about the model they have developed.

I am looking forward to hearing how this new approach is working and hope that is the first of many innovative approaches to address this issue. I invite you to join me. You can sign up on Merge’s Web site.