Building a site requires specifications. At this phase all the information necessary has been gathered, organized, reviewed and revised. The creative process of design has been completed. In order for a site to operate consistently, guidelines must be created and adhered to.

• Did the team have enough Flash experience and knowledge?
• How would images be treated?
• What about version control?
• The file structure needed to be defined.
• How would the site be maintained?

Two team members had considerable knowledge and experience in Flash. All members were required to assist in the build. The team members with less Flash experience were able to build based on the style guide and the product specifications. The work of optimizing images was carried out by the team members with less Flash experience.

Because the team had determined Flash would best meet the goals and objectives of the site, the images needed to have some interactive element to them. The team investigated several creative treatments. The deciding was finalized to use blur to clear rollover effects on the buttons that would reveal the full image. This was clearly documented in the specifications.

The team soon realized that several people working on several files needed to be controlled and tracked. A version control numbering system was implemented.

Along with the version control, a file structure was built so that all members of the team knew where to find what needed to be worked on. Consistent organization alleviated any confusion.

The decision to use Flash sparked some discussion about site maintenance. The client had very little technical expertise. This matter had been discussed earlier with the client. The solution was to offer maintenance services to the client. We knew that once the specifications were finalized, anyone with Flash knowledge could follow the specifications and be able to make any necessary changes to the site.

The team approached the build with new energy and a revitalized spirit. Because we were working within a very tight time frame, it was imperative that each member of the team stay on task, stay focused and turned their portion of work in on time. This took a careful balance on my part. I needed to ask for for updates and progress, but not be a hindrance to the team members. I found that sharing expertise was very productive and enhanced the learning efficiency for all of the team members. The team members with little experience in Flash were asked to assist the "coders" in any way possible with any skill set they could offer so the "coders" could focus on the actionscript.

I felt it was important for all members of the team to be physically available to each other near the end of the build process. This allowed the team to do quick, guided problem solving. It allowed the team to devise a solution, implement the solution and test the solution. It created an atmosphere of cooperation and learning for all members.