[webproducers] Re: What's in a name... Producer - Project Manager
- From: Dave Kaye <moatgoat@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Web Producers <webproducers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 01:30:02 -0400
All,
Here's my $0.02: I came up in the days when there were exactly two job
descriptions: "Programmer" or "Designer." They both reported to a "Manager" of
some kind. This was not that long ago.
These days, it's all "Interaction Designer," "Information Designer,"
"Information Architect," "Program Manager," "Project Manager," "Interaction
Programmer," "Designing Architect," "Designing Woman," and "Interactive
Managing Information Project Producer of Programming." I've seen people say
with a straight face, "We need an Experience Manager!" Um...what?
(Oh, and I blame this squarely on the educational programs like the one I
formerly taught in that flooded the industry with more people than there were
jobs, but I'll leave that for another post.)
So whilst any of us might be "right" about the proper conception of the name
"project manager/producer" (IMHO there is no such thing as a "producer" in
interactive media unless some kind of video is involved), the final authority
is the person that assigns that name in whatever organization s/he works for.
I know this is not the point of asking the question, but I posit that this is
reality. And so, you must ask questions.
Hence: If you are talking about, say, RGA, Razorfish, or AKQA, they should
certainly know better. If you are taking about "fistBUMP Interactive," you
takes your chances.
Dave.
> Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:50:31 -0700
> From: jeffrey_herz@xxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [webproducers] Re: What's in a name... Producer - Project Manager
> To: webproducers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> In my opinion, the role and title is determined by the function that the
> person is performing within the organization. Are they more creative
> oriented or technology focused?
> Historically in advertising (and in television), a producer is the person
> that is responsible for getting all the work done across the board. At an
> advertising agency the production group is usually within the auspices of the
> creative department and the producer is tasked with ensuring that that work
> is completed and/or delivered when and where it needs to be. A producer
> could work for the studio or production. In the web world, producers would
> work more closely with the creative director, IA, flash developers and Front
> end folks. They are the bridge between the client and the creative
> department. The producer should be able to oversee the entire creative
> process and know what outputs are required and when they need to be
> delivered. They should also know how to lead & motivate the most artistic
> team members into delivering the best work
>
> Traditionally a Project Manager derives from the engineering discipline
> (construction, architecture, electrical, software, etc.) and tends to be more
> technical in nature. Since there is a much more of scientific approach with
> technical endeavors, project managers need to be more focused on the details
> and the schedule. Knowing and understanding the Software Development Life
> Cycle, (SDLC) and all the deliverables that are associated with technology is
> vital to the success of a project manager. This role is often the liason
> between the client and the technical team. Project Managers tend to have a
> better understanding of the entire project, including understanding the
> business drivers, ensuring that the functionality meets those business
> drivers and making sure that the solution ultimately delivers against the
> business drivers. The project manager is also responsible for tracking the
> overall progress of the project, providing status reports and also
> assessing risk and creating mitigation plans. Finally the project manager
> should have some technical background as well, to be able to have a technical
> discussion, review an architecture and push the techies to determine if they
> are providing you with the absolute best solution.
>
> This is not to say to say that producers and project managers are mutually
> exclusive, since there can often be a large union of skills and backgrounds
> depending upon your specific project. However, in general if you have a more
> creative project, I would look for a producer to lead the initiative, if it
> is a more technical solution, then a project manager is more appropriate.
>
> Just my $.02
>
>
> Jeff Herz
> JMO Consulting
> 47 Cascade Court
> Stamford, CT 06903
> (917) 913 5019 (cell)
> LinkedIN: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffherz
> weblog: http://jmoconsulting.blogspot.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Chris Galvin <chrisg@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: webproducers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 6:37:45 PM
> Subject: [webproducers] Re: What's in a name... Producer - Project Manager
>
> in both positions. Web Producer = plays a dual-role as a front-end
> coder and a project manager. Interactive Project Manager = manages
> Interactive Projects and doesn't code, but has a working knowledge of
> technologies used in building Interactive projects. Thoughts? Slams?
> Rants? Raves?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sep 11, 2009, at 3:25 PM, Morry Galonoy wrote:
>
> > Ok so to get back on topic I thought it might be a good time to
> > address the differences between being a "producer" and a "project
> > manager".
> >
> > This has come up a few times recently on the lis and I thought it
> > might be a good chance to have an open discussion on the topic. While
> > some places have specific roles and responsibilities for those working
> > as a producer vs a project manager there doesn't seem to be any iron
> > clad definition or standard. When I started this group people were
> > using both terms and we even did a survey at one point and producer
> > was the most preferred title.
> >
> > Here's what we say on the website: "Web Producers Organization (WPO)
> > is a professional organization created to support producers and
> > project managers, of interactive and web-based media. Our titles are
> > varied and often ambiguous* but if youâ??re responsible for managing
> > interactive projects weâ??re youâ??re community. Our aim is to be your
> > connection to the industry and other professionals and help you get
> > your job done better, smarter, and more efficiently. (*producer,
> > interactive project manager, team lead, consultant, web manager)"
> >
> > So let's have an open discussion about this with the understanding
> > that there is no set definition and that the role varies. That said it
> > would be interesting to see how you define producer vs. project
> > manager. What are the similarities and differences in your
> > organization if any?
> >
> >
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> >
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> >
> > Join us on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid877&trk=hb_side_g
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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