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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    550

    Realistic development time frame...

    What would you estimate the realistic development time frame for a project like this...

    4 page wordpress from PSD. The project will require plugins, needs to be mobile friendly, embedding of youtube video into a theme/skin video player gallery.

    standard proofing of text, and testing of site and wordpress for functionally. Once site is complete it needs to be then exported and setup on clients server in which i have no clue if its a windows and linux box.

    there is also a flipbook that needs to be coded from PSD as well. that's all jquery coding and xhtml/css.

    I've created over 50 sites and rarely does anything go together smoothly unless its a small blog site. I said 2wks but the client seems to think it should only take 5 days 80hrs to complete. My frustration is when people assume how long something should take when they're not programs. There is section on this site where the form submit code requires security approval from the IT dept. who knows how long thats going to take. Although its 4 pages each page is different and all the content needs to be inserted no latin text or filler images.

    personally i like a week buffer for problems or unexpected thing... and if the site is delivered ahead of schedule that just looks good. but with less than 2wks (11-12days) am I setting myself up for failure or am I over thinking things?

  2. #2
    Well it depends on how long you are working on it daily.
    Depending on the complexity, design should take around 2-4 hours.
    4 pages, depending on content length, should be around 4-6 hours, including proof reading, quality, etc.
    Depending on how many, plugins should take around 2-5 hours, then around 1-3 hours of configuring to make sure everything runs smoothly together.
    Flipbook can be based off an existing jquery plugin, modified to your needs, around 1-3 hours.
    Add in some business day hours for that security approval; should take around 2 days maybe?
    Then some time to finalize everything, like you said, would be needed; with a buffer in case you get a brain fart looking for a solution.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Toronto, ON
    Posts
    1,104
    Which is why you should state strictly development time and proofing takes (x) amount of days-any other factors including client approval, security approvals etc.. will extend that. So assuming things go smoothly it will take 1 week, assuming I have to wait for approvals in other departments it can take 2-3 weeks based off past approval waiting times.

    Even if it's BS aslong as you explain something to a client clearly they'll basically have to say.. oh, ok.

    Or yes, it can be accomplished in 1 week if I took time away from my other clients, and didn't have anything in need of approval, however taking time away from other clients isn't very fair - how would you feel if I took time away from yours? I have to do what makes sense, is 2 weeks unacceptable for you?

    5 days 80 hours? Sure if he wants to pay 1.5x your regular rate for the 40 hours extra.

    Take development hours, put it in a 40/hr week scenario and calculate 6 hours of actual dev on it per day... if someone expects something done in that timeframe, you either charge more.. or pass them up. Headache
    Last edited by mg-; 03-14-2012 at 04:59 AM.
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    35
    I think this is a problem:
    Quote Originally Posted by acctman View Post
    4 page wordpress from PSD.
    If you've mocked up the web page in Photoshop it is highly likely that translating that into HTML+CSS isn't going to be easy. Especially if you want it to look OK/work in IE and mobile browsers.

    Why not just mock up the pages in HTML+CSS from the get-go? It's only four pages and when you're done you can hand it to a developer to make it work with Wordpress (code the PHP parts into a theme for you).

    Even if you don't know what you're doing you can at the very least put all the text into some basic HTML elements and play around with the CSS until it is close to what you want. Then hand it off to an expert. If the elements need to be rearranged or changed they'll know what to do and it will take them a tenth of the time it would have from an image.
    -Riskable
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    OnTheWeb
    Posts
    2,397
    I would say about 3 weeks. The reason for this is because clients always see something last minute they want to change and they sometimes take forever to get back to you on the most simple of questions. Most of the delay would / should be on the client's end especially if you are a fast coder. We generally give each project a full 4 hours per day regardless to ensure we stay organised. When we send the design files out and request feedback, it takes a while before that feedback is returned for us to continue working on the design or finish a partcular phase. We also do not include Saturdays and Sundays for any dev work since we leave them as dedicated "review" days for them to get the entire day to review a design since other Directors or key decision makers would need to see the design as well.

    Vetting the design and code alone should be about 3 to 5 days because this should be an extensive process.

    I would say 3 weeks if your project consists of anything like that I described above.
    If you're the smartest person in the room then you're in the wrong room

  6. #6
    Very hard to give a time frame without knowing the exact details.
    "The project will require plugins" what plugins?
    "needs to be mobile friendly" Two different skins?

    What about js plugins? So it may take a day or it may take a month. You should ask for detailed requirements, can't tell without them. And it's the last thing you want to have the client introducing those requirements after you do the basic work.

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