Types of projects

We do two main types of projects: Web sites and databases.

Web sites

Our Web sites are usually for small companies or nonprofits, or units within larger organizations. They typically focus on marketing and/or community.

Since ATiB is a business program, we consider the business aspects of a site. We:

• Understand each company, its products and services, and its value propositions.
• Identify different types of customers. For example, a plumbing company might serve both residential and business clients. Their needs and decision processes might be different from each other. The site would have targeted messages for each group.
• Use community for branding. For example, the plumbing firm could use discussion forums and social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) to promote itself as an expert that consumers can trust.

We are Drupalistas. Drupal in a powerful open source content management system (CMS). whitehouse.gov is a Drupal site.

Databases

We develop Microsoft Access databases, forms, reports, and so on. They might be self-contained applications, or interoperate with other systems. For example, some databases pull information from the Web, or output content as Web pages.

Every database involve data analysis, before database construction can begin. The extent of the analysis depends on the project. A database supporting simple business processes would require less analysis that a database supporting more complex processes.

Other

Most projects fall into these two categories. Other project types will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Project management

Teams of two to four students are assigned to a project. Each team is monitored by a faculty member, either the ATiB director or another professor.

The sponsoring firm must commit to making time to meet with the student team. This can involve a lot of time, especially towards the end of a Web project, where the sponsor's input is needed on many formatting and content issues. 

ATiB uses a private project management system. Students and sponsors use it to set goals, document processes, assign tasks, and so on. Some tasks will be assigned to the sponsor. For example, suppose a project goal is to create a set of Web pages from a database. The sponsor must decide on the format of the pages before the task can be completed.

Money stuff

Sponsors pay fees to help us keep the program running. There are two types of projects: small and large.

• Small projects take about 6 weeks, and cost $3,000 or $4,500. Small business Web sites are usually small projects.
• Large projects take an entire semester, 15 weeks. They cost $12,500. Database projects for large companies tend to fall into this category.

For more information

Contact Kieran Mathieson at mathieso@oakland.edu for more information.