Creating Very Large Projects w/ Small Teams

Rails Interactive is a small Design and Development company which engages in projects from brochure sites to full web applications. We keep our teams small and focus team member skill sets to improve our workflows. The caveat is the potential for breakdown when small teams focus on very large projects.

1. 1. The Down Side:

   Planning must be in place! There are very few circumstances where not planning thoroughly is an acceptable approach to web application development. Even while working in an iterative process, the client and the development team have to be on the same page to reach a live product in a timely manner and on budget. Knowing the project inside and out is crucial to producing a great web app.

2. 2. The Up Side:

   Communication, Flexibility and Focus. Communicating with a single lead on a project aids in the planning process, but it also spans across to every aspect of the development cycle. Initial discovery sets the foundation, but each project has its own variables, either in the change of business rules or usability testing results, that dictate the need for ongoing modifications to the application. Small teams and single team leads make this process easier which leads into project flexibility.

   Gearing up for a project is a task in and of itself. Expand that to a large, non-manageable team and any ripple in the pool of communication can cause drastic delays later given the shear management nightmare that ensues. Small teams react more quickly.

   Good communication and project flexibility both dictate focus. If team leads, designers, developers and clients are all working with good communication and the team is moving well given that it does not take "wide right turns" then focus is a second hand benefit. Projects progress more smoothly and things get done.

Overall, we have bought in, whole sale, to the concept of small teams and the iterative, agile process that Ruby on Rails provides. Our designers and developers work hand in hand with our clients to complete projects well and add the most value for our clients.