MikeCohenMedia.com » Design/Development http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog Blog Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:51:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Planning a Web Site Project http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/planning-a-web-site-project/ http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/planning-a-web-site-project/#comments Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:59:03 +0000 Mike Cohen http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/?p=36 This phase occurs before hiring a designer/developer/company. Before requesting a proposal from a potential designer/developer/company you will need to collect and summarize your ideas about your project. A document like the Project Profiler will help you communicate your goals, ideas and requirements to the designer/developer/company so they can give you a comprehensive and accurate proposal for your site. This information will also be used by the designer/developer/company to plan and execute the project.

In general you should define/provide as much information as you can about the following:

  • Company, Industry Background
  • Project Overview, Project Goals
  • Intended Audience
  • Design
  • Content
  • Functionality
  • Web Hosting and E-mail
  • Maintenance
  • Promotion
  • Sites you like and why
    This will give the designer/developer/company a feel for the style and level of design you expect for your project. It will also communicate information about audience, content and functionality that may not have been communicated previously.
]]> http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/planning-a-web-site-project/feed/ 0 Web Site Design Process http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/web-site-design-process/ http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/web-site-design-process/#comments Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:45:04 +0000 Mike Cohen http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/?p=38 The design process begins with the designer producing mock-ups of the initial design direction. This may consist of one standard sub-page or a home page and sub-page. Some designers offer 2-3 different design directions to choose from others prefer to only offer one and work from there. Once you choose the direction you are happy with an iterative process begins to arrive at the final design. The design should include common navigation elements, sample text, fonts, headings, buttons and icons to give you a complete picture.

Iterative Process – cycle through the following process until final design direction is reached and agreed upon

  1. Presentation of design
  2. Feedback from client
  3. Revision of design based on client feedback

Once the design is finalized and signed off by you, production will begin. In other words the graphic files will be turned into a real web page or Flash presentation.

HTML/CSS Coding

With an HTML site, the layout is controlled by HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and sometimes JavaScript. The HTML coder will take the graphics files provided by the designer, and use these technologies to create HTML templates.

JavaScript can be used to create interactive functionality such as image rollovers and advanced navigation systems. JavaScript functionality will be integrated into the HTML templates during this phase as well.

Flash Development

If the entire site is done in Flash, there will be very little HTML coding but extensive Flash development. If Flash is a component of an HTML site, it will be created and integrated here.

Browser Testing

The HTML templates and/or Flash presentation will be tested in various browsers to ensure compatibility.

Web Design Tips

1.       Maintain consistency (placement of navigation, search, user interface elements, fonts)

2. Fast loading pages

3.       Pages that don’t require horizontal scrolling with 1024 x 768 screen resolutions

4.       Intelligent use of web technology – using Flash when it makes sense

5. Convey the meaning/message of the web site quickly

6. Use custom error pages, rather than having the user see a generic NOT FOUND page.

7. Have a site map

8. Concise writing, use bullets

9. Minimal use of italics, bold and all caps

10. Not too much color

In general, avoid the following:

§ Page counters

§ Blinking or flashing text

§ Frames

§ Flash intros, better to integrate Flash directly into the home page.

§ Music

§         Automatic pop ups

]]> http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/web-site-design-process/feed/ 0 Implementing Web Site Functionality http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/implementing-web-site-functionality/ http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/implementing-web-site-functionality/#comments Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:25:59 +0000 Mike Cohen http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/?p=41 This is where the functionality is built and/or integrated. Depending on your project, the functionality may be built from scratch, or 3rd party or open source software may be integrated and customized to suit your needs. If a database is to be used, it will be developed and tested here. If your site is a custom-built e-commerce site or content management system, this will be the longest phase of development.

  • Functionality implementation
  • Enter test content
  • End-user process testing
  • Administrative process testing
  • Integrate design templates
  • Enter full content

Testing

A fully functioning site should now be up and running and it’s time for rigorous testing.

  • Final testing (links, processes, usability, content)

Final browser compatibility testing

]]> http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/implementing-web-site-functionality/feed/ 0 Hiring a Web Site Designer http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/hiring-a-web-site-designer/ http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/hiring-a-web-site-designer/#comments Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:00:00 +0000 Mike Cohen http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/?p=43 Now that you understand how to plan your project and what goes into creating a web site, it’s time to consider a few things about who you should hire to complete your project. A few options include:

Individual Web Designer/Web Developer
An individual or freelancer who can design and create a web site

Web Design Firm
A company that specializes in all aspects of the creation and implementation of a web site

Marketing/Advertising Firm
A company that specializes in advertising/marketing, and also provides web site development

Full-Service Design Firm
A company that specializes in design of all kinds including web design, print design, identity creation

Diversified Internet Services Company

A company that provides all aspects of web site related products including domain names, hosting, e-mail, web design, e-commerce and more.

Activity:

Discuss advantages/disadvantages of each entity above.

Getting a Proposal

After providing the prospective web designer/developer/company with the information contained in the Project Profiler, and perhaps through several consultations, a proposal will be drafted that should outline all aspects of development and the associated costs. Depending on the requirements of your project, the proposal should contain information pertaining to the following areas:

§         Design
The design process should be described in detail. The role of Flash should also be detailed here.

§         Functionality
The proposal should contain a functionality specification, a document describing in great detail all the functionalities that will be included in the project. This should be from both an end-user perspective and your perspective. For example, functionalities such as search, shopping cart, and e-mail list are end-user functionalities. The way these end-user functionalities are managed are administrative functionalities and should also be outlined.

§         Technology Platform
The technology platform is the combination of technologies that will be used to create your web site. This may include the programming language, database and software and will impact the hosting plan and provider.

§         Content

o        Content Source - Where the content will come from and in what format it should be provided and if copy-writing services will be offered.

o        Content Entry - Will all data entry into the e-commerce system or CMS be provided?

o        Images/Photography/Video/Audio – Where will these assets come from? Certain stock images used in the design may have an additional cost. Will product images need to be provided by you, the client or are photographic/scanning services included?  Will audio/video services be included or are these assets to be provided by the client.

§         Structure
An outline or site map diagram that shows the hierarchy of site content should be provided. This doesn’t have to be the absolute final site structure, but should at least be a viable starting point. It might also include notes indicating where certain functionalities and interactive content will be present. A flow chart of certain business processes such as the checkout process of an e-commerce site might also be included.

§         Timeline
A timeline of deliverables should be included to give you an idea of when each phase of the project will be complete, and what you can expect to see as evidence of the progress.

§         Training
Depending on the complexity of your site, some training may be necessary for complete understanding of the site management tools.

§         Project Cost

o        Total Project method – The price of the project will include all aspects of development. Each area of development may be broken down into line items or a total project cost may be given. If certain aspects of site development are requested as separate line items, the cost of development of these items should be separated from the base project cost.

o        Hourly Estimate method - A designer may wish to work hourly, in which case a range of hours should be given prior to beginning the project and intervals should be established to report time and progress.

§         Additional and Future Costs

o        Hosting

o        Maintenance

o        Promotion, SEO

o        Future development

§         Warranty
The warranty should detail what will be done to remedy any future problems and for what time period free technical support and upgrades are available.

§         Legal Disclaimer
A legal disclaimer outlining your rights and protections and the rights and protections afforded the developer.

§         Software License
If 3rd party software of any kind is being integrated into the project, the license for the use of the software should be included.

Relevant article:

http://www.sitepoint.com/article/how-to-hire-a-web-designer

]]> http://mikecohenmedia.com/blog/hiring-a-web-site-designer/feed/ 0