This isn't a book about development tools or programming languages--it's a user manual to the process of managing site development from conception to completion. The focus is on team development since almost all such projects of any scale involve a diverse collection of professionals. Brief interviews with seasoned team leaders add real-world perspective to the topic.

Burdman provides frameworks for analyzing both the project at hand and the team you have at your disposal. She tackles the process with a discussion of getting the project off the ground in an organized and complete manner. The material here is presented in plain English instead of with the usual heavy emphasis on flowcharts and management theory. She also doesn't stop with the summary of a single project cycle but covers client issues, team communication, and ongoing team cultivation as well. This book may not make all your projects go smoothly, but it will sure help. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: Project scope definition, cost budgeting, team assembly, content planning, team and client communication, client education, quality assurance and testing, team evolution, and case studies.