Since the beginning of time literary elements follow a vast set of formulas. From plot construction to character assembly, there are only so many “working” combinations available for writers and creators to use in tandem with each other.

TV Troupes does an amazing job of cataloging the different types of story elements, and referencing there use in film, literature, comic books, and television shows. A favorite group ensemble of mine is the Five Man Band and I’d like to explain it’s relation to a real live web development team.

Think of each role as a skill set or attribute that is assignable to any of the members, no matter the size of the team.

Lead Singer (The Hero) - the leader of the group.  Can be clean-cut and upstanding, bold and charismatic, serious and driven, or some combination of the three

Lead Guitar (The Lancer) - The second-in-command, usually a contrast to The Hero. If the Hero is driven and somewhat amoral, the Lancer is more relaxed and level-headed.

Bass Guitar / Keyboard (The Smart Guy) - Physically weak, but an intelligent or clever member. Often nerdy and awkward played for comic relief. Sometimes a buddy of the Drummer / Big Guy.

Drummer (The Big Guy)  - The strongman of the team. May be dumb or mute.

Extra Vocals / Tambourine (The Chick) - A peacekeeping role to balance out the other members aggression, bringing them to a nice or at least manageable medium. The Chick is often considered the heart of the group.

I’m sure you’ve already thought of some popular movies or shows that fit the above model.  Some of the first that came to my mind are listed below:

Most web development teams have people who’s skills fit into the same broad categories. 

The Designer is the Lead Singer.
The designer’s artsy nature puts them at the helm, making a client’s vision tangible and accessible for necessary client approval. Throughout the process of development they are usually the cornerstone, providing feedback to keep the look and feel of the design intact.

The Front End Developer plays Lead Guitar.
HTML/CSS and jQuery usually come next, building out the designer’s work into functional shells.  Even though this role often crisscrosses with The Designer, they each have their realms of expertise.  Opposite parts of the brain are at work here than with a Designer, which can lead to an ongoing battle (web friendly fonts, repeating backgrounds, shadows, etc) to make the end product the best it can be.

The Back End Programmer jams out on Keyboard.
The heavy lifting of incorporating a database takes a website to the next level.  These people work entirely in code and are often a whiz at command line functions.  These people are a little further removed from The Designer, so it’s always great to have a Front End Developer in place to translate.

The Server Administrator bangs on the Drums.
This is the least socially savvy of the group.  They are responsible for setting up server functionality and far to often would rather do things the hard way.  It’s not because of intelligence, they are in fact smart people, but maybe just brute force solutions feel rewarding or exciting for them.  This is as far from removed from the Designer as one can get, so most interactions will dissolve only in confusion between the two.

The Project Manager shakes a Tambourine.
Not necessarily a female, The Project Manger has the responsibility of making sure everyone plays nice.  They can either come from a position of “Org Chart Power” and could be a boss.  In which case they usually come off as more Motherly/Fatherly in good and bad ways.  Other times this role is filled laterally by an equal ranked team member.  In which case they can take on a Brother/Sister quality where motivation is for the good of the family, rather than fear of punishment.  No matter what, watch out for the Goofy Uncle who thinks he’s incharge just becuase he’s older than you.

Where do you fit in on your team?  How can you better understand the roles they fill?