Trent’s Notes on Design

Where to start? Simply of course. Web site design should encompass an organization’s essence, professionalism and unique outlook. As a designer/developer I have to marry that expectation with the real-world considerations inherent in publishing information on the web. Since compromise is essential, I need to be very clear about it with the client at the outset. We both need to be flexible and open to different approaches. That isn’t to say that there isn’t structure to the process.

Research

The process of designing a website starts with the information gathering. The designer needs to meet with the clients, either physically or virtually, preferably in person. You should have a checklist that you refer to when interviewing the client. Touch on the following points:
  · Purpose: What is the purpose of the web site? Is it sales, informational, service, entertainment or a combination of all the above?

  · Audience: Who do you want to communicate with? Prospective clients, established clients, associates, employees, general public, or a combination? Concentrate on the major audience.

 · Organizational requirements: Does the client already have an image that needs to be matched? Many companies already have logos, colour schemes and guidelines that need to be adhered to. This can make graphic design decisions complex.

 · Copy: Who will do the writing? If they are providing the copy, is it appropriate for the web, or will it need to be re-written? Will the designer be responsible for the copy writing? If you are writing the copy, the interview process will take on additional depth. Take as many notes as you can, you can’t get enough information at this stage. Another consideration is how often the content is likely to change, will it be often enough that the site will need a complex content management system, or will it be a static site.

 · Graphics: Does the client have graphics already? Keeping the site audience, purpose, and organizational requirements in mind find images and design graphics that fit best, while keeping the site performance up. The more images that are incorporated in the final design, the slower the site will load for many visitors.

 · Budget: It’s critical at this point to discuss the costs associated with the building of a site. Mention the time involved in constructing graphics, writing copy, and coding the back end. Most clients don’t know how long it takes to produce a good site, and may be shocked at some of the estimates that you give them. The client needs a real indication of the time and cost in order to make an informed decision on your design. Also, knowing the clients budget will guide you in your design decisions.

Info Architecture

Once you’ve gathered enough information to get started, the next step in the process is to produce an information map for the site. This is a living document that will change many times as you refine the site until you have a final design. The info map gives you a good overview of the site structure and will point out navigation schema and links. Time should be taken to flatten the site structure so that the content, that your target audience needs, is easy to access. The info map will also include references to any databases, server-side programs, client-side applets and scripts, forms and any other interactive items attached to the site.

Make a few mock-ups of the home page. These mock-ups should be in black and white, so that colour choices won’t interfere with the analysis of the site design. Submit these documents and the info map to the client for review. Sit down with them and go over advantages and disadvantages of certain layouts. Once you’ve agreed upon a layout, start throwing some colour schemes into the mix. It may take a few tries to get a look and feel that the client is happy with, but doing this now will save you from having to redo more pages later on.

All that’s left now is to put it all together. Happily, we have our trusty little info map to guide us and we’ve done our homework, so this stage should be pretty straight forward. Marry logical process with creative flair and you will flourish as a web designer.

Trent Shields