--- title: VCEDC Project Post-Mortem — 2026-04-05 type: article created: '2026-04-05' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2026-01-09-vcedc-post-mortem-113071535.md tags: - meeting - post-mortem - vcedc - wordpress - gravity-forms - kit-crm - process-improvement - asset-management - development-checklist layer: 2 client_source: Vilas County Economic Development industry_context: nonprofit transferable: false --- # VCEDC Project Post-Mortem — 2026-04-05 ## Overview Internal post-mortem on the VCEDC web project, attended by Melissa Cusumano, Isahaque Mahmud, Isalia Ramirez, Łukasz Bugajski, and Mark Hope. The meeting served two purposes: (1) conduct a retrospective to identify process gaps that caused friction during the project, and (2) resolve a live blocker — a missing event registration form that was preventing the client from sending a scheduled email campaign. **Client contacts:** Kathy (primary), Tracy (site admin) **Related client index:** [[wiki/clients/current/vcedc/_index]] --- ## Live Fix: Event Registration Form ### Problem The single event page only displayed an "Add to Calendar" button. There was no registration form, blocking the client from sending a planned email to their list. ### Root Cause The free event plugin does not include a registration feature. The ticket add-on is also free but **cannot integrate with Kit CRM**, making it unsuitable for the client's workflow. ### Solution Isahaque will create a new, dedicated **Gravity Form** for event registration. Gravity Forms integrates directly with Kit CRM, preserving the client's existing subscriber workflow. **Implementation details:** - A unique Gravity Form is created per event (duplicated from a base form) - The form is embedded via **shortcode** inside the white box on the event page template - The shortcode label should read "Register" (not "Events Form") - A corresponding **unique tag** must be created in Kit CRM for each event to track registrations separately (e.g., `Event 2026 — Business Taxes and Loans`) - The existing email subscription form remains on the page below the registration form — these are two distinct forms serving different purposes **Client workflow (Tracy):** Tracy will need to manually paste the Gravity Form shortcode into each new event post. The team will document and communicate this process to her directly. --- ## Key Decisions - **Use Gravity Forms over the event plugin's ticket add-on** for all event registrations requiring Kit CRM integration. The ticket add-on cannot connect to Kit; Gravity Forms can. - **Each event requires its own Kit tag** to allow per-event registration tracking. - **A standard development checklist will be created** by Isahaque and Isalia to prevent recurrence of the structural and handoff issues seen on this project. - **All client assets (images and copy) must be collected before design begins** on future projects. --- ## Process Gaps Identified ### 1. No Standard Development Checklist There was no formal checklist governing how the site should be built. This led to structural errors by the previous developer — most notably, news/blog content was built as individual static pages rather than WordPress posts. Isahaque had to identify and correct these issues after taking over the project. > *"The blog news page — he built out each page individually versus posts. So you would never do that. If you knew it was a news or blog page, you would build it a certain way."* — Melissa ### 2. Incomplete Asset Collection Before Design The project began without all client assets in hand. Stock photos and AI-generated images were used as placeholders, but the client (Kathy) rejected them — the client wanted photography specific to their "Northwoods" region and ultimately needed to provide their own images. This caused significant rework and back-and-forth. > *"Before we kick off, we should really have all assets from a client. We just start designing without the assets."* — Melissa / Łukasz ### 3. Unmanaged Client Expectations Around Plugin Limitations The client was not informed upfront that the free event plugin lacked registration functionality or Kit CRM integration. This created a last-minute blocker at launch. ### 4. Inconsistent Copy Direction The client referenced multiple conflicting sources for copy (emails, Word docs, Excel files, a previous website, AI-generated drafts). No single source of truth was established, leading to repeated revision cycles. --- ## What Worked - The project had a clearly structured timeline/schedule that kept milestones visible. - Łukasz's design work and image editing (including background removal/Photoshop work) was well-received by the internal team. - Gravity Forms + Kit CRM integration is a proven, workable pattern for this client's needs. --- ## Action Items | Owner | Task | Priority | |---|---|---| | Isahaque | Create new Gravity Form for event registration | 🔴 Urgent | | Isahaque | Embed form via shortcode on "Business Taxes and Loans" event page | 🔴 Urgent | | Isahaque | Create Kit CRM tag: `Event 2026 — Business Taxes and Loans` | 🔴 Urgent | | Isalia | Test the completed registration workflow | 🔴 Urgent | | Isalia | Notify Kathy & Tracy once fix is live | 🔴 Urgent | | Isahaque | Draft standard development checklist (bullet points to start) | 🟡 This week | | Isalia + Isahaque | Collaborate to finalize development checklist | 🟡 This week | | Melissa | Pull Jeff into checklist review once draft is ready | 🟢 Follow-up | --- ## Related Notes - [[wiki/process/development-checklist]] *(to be created)* - [[wiki/process/client-asset-collection]] *(to be created)* - [[wiki/knowledge/gravity-forms-kit-crm-integration]] --- ## Attendees - Melissa Cusumano — Account lead - Isahaque Mahmud — Developer (took over project) - Isalia Ramirez — Project coordinator - Łukasz Bugajski — Designer - Mark Hope