The role of the multimedia project manager in a changing online world

Traditional project management principles are derived from engineering projects, where many of the details are specified up front. In fact, established project management procedures come from a functional setting, such as engineering, where links between time, design and production are clearly defined. Multimedia project management guidelines, in turn, usually encircle a somewhat more creative path through development and production, leaving room for more richly developed media that takes more time to create. Online multimedia production offers more time for creative idea development, increased prototyping and testing, and a longer time span for changes to be made. The online multimedia production process offers typical phases like planning, design, development, testing, and delivery, but usually manages production in a more open and creative manner - which in turn makes the creation and management of multimedia just a little more difficult from traditional projects. This paper will explore the project management of online multimedia products and how it differs from traditional project management.