Typical project load for web development?

December 1, 2006 9:06 AM

Web developers - agencies and freelancers - what is your normal project load?

I'm trying to get a handle on what amounts to a "typical" load for a web dev/design shop (or freelancer). This type of work leads to many client bottlenecks (approvals, content collection, etc.) and I'm curious how much overload other companies and individuals take on to compensate.

I would appreciate hearing about folks' common project types & lifespans, how many they tend to handle at a time, and how big the company is.

I know there is no one answer, and am just as interested in seeing the variation across the industry. However, outside shops/contractors who work with a client's in-house marketing team would be the best match for my current situation.

posted by Sangre Azul to Work & Money (4 answers total)

Balls to the walls is the typical I think everywhere.

Throughout my career as a web dev, I've had as few as 1 crash priority projects with 2 or 3 ongoing projects and 3 things to maintain.

Currently, I have 3 crash priority, 4 back burnered, and 8 things I need to maintain.

I've been both a contract dev and a full time dev.

Overload isn't due so much to bottlenecks (I have very few, I tend to assemble a project and ramrod it through the approval and payment process...) as it is due to demand.
posted by SpecialK at 9:52 AM on December 1, 2006

My company has about 15 employees. At times, we've had as many as 4 developers at a time. I, personally, have at least 5 projects at all times (and usually all of them are "#1 priority" *rolls eyes*). The company itself may have between 10 and 30 projects going at once, mostly for clients but a few internal projects are always among the number. About half of our projects are behind schedule at any given time, and as you said, client bottlenecks are common.
posted by Vorteks at 9:54 AM on December 1, 2006

Me: WebDev, Agency

I usually have around 3 active (20+ hour) projects.

At the same time I probably have around 5 couple page/maint. (<2hr) end of day HOT HOT HOT items at any given time.
posted by rdurbin at 11:25 AM on December 1, 2006

I'm a Web Designer, in-house. I'm usually working on around 3 projects at any given time with 3 more queued up. I get emergency projects that put everything on hold about once a month and 1-day-bugs/small-fixes once or twice a week.
posted by nessahead at 5:49 PM on December 1, 2006