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What are the optimal steps to make a perfect Web Design ? 5
- Thread starter prodoubts
- Start date
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2
- #2
yep
1/ Decide what the site is about and who it's for- target your audience- it makes difference to the design.
2/ make a map of what pages you want and how you want them linked- same if you are creating a database- make sure you include scope for extending the site further down the track- bad planning here can cost you a total rebuild later.
3/ Make thumbnails of how you would like the site layout to look- don't get too fancy, just quick sketches
4/ choose a thumbnail you like and make a mockup- if it's for a client you might choose to make two or three mockups.
5/ once the design is compleated, make the webpage based on the mockup- use this as a template for further pages- don't change the look and feel of the site from page to page, this confuses your viewers.
6/ build the site to your site map, and upload to the server to test it all functions correctly.
7/ get some independant sources to test the site- to check for ease of use and any bugs (you might also wish to do this after creating the first page to check for ease of navigatability)
8/ when you are compleatly satisfied the site is working to spec, put it live.
Sometimes, when my code just won't behave, I take it outside and make it listen to britney spears music, and when it comes back it's really well behaved. I wonder if it's suffering from post tramatic stress syndrome now..
1/ Decide what the site is about and who it's for- target your audience- it makes difference to the design.
2/ make a map of what pages you want and how you want them linked- same if you are creating a database- make sure you include scope for extending the site further down the track- bad planning here can cost you a total rebuild later.
3/ Make thumbnails of how you would like the site layout to look- don't get too fancy, just quick sketches
4/ choose a thumbnail you like and make a mockup- if it's for a client you might choose to make two or three mockups.
5/ once the design is compleated, make the webpage based on the mockup- use this as a template for further pages- don't change the look and feel of the site from page to page, this confuses your viewers.
6/ build the site to your site map, and upload to the server to test it all functions correctly.
7/ get some independant sources to test the site- to check for ease of use and any bugs (you might also wish to do this after creating the first page to check for ease of navigatability)
8/ when you are compleatly satisfied the site is working to spec, put it live.
Sometimes, when my code just won't behave, I take it outside and make it listen to britney spears music, and when it comes back it's really well behaved. I wonder if it's suffering from post tramatic stress syndrome now..
DaRNCaT pretty much covered it, but forgot one important detail: graphics and color schema...
All professional websites must have decent-to-excellent color schema and graphics...just like real life, if the product isn't visually appealing it won't attarct much interest...![[smile]](/data/assets/smilies/smile.gif "[smile] [smile]")
I have not failed; I have merely found 100,000 different ways of not succeding...
All professional websites must have decent-to-excellent color schema and graphics...just like real life, if the product isn't visually appealing it won't attarct much interest...
I have not failed; I have merely found 100,000 different ways of not succeding...
adamjones81
Technical User
DaRNCaT has covered almost everything, but in some newsgroups I read a lot of people say that a professional website should be W3C compliant.
I could explain what this is if you've never heard of it, but I'd be here for hours, so here's some useful URL's to visit:
Having your site W3C compliant means it'll work in most browsers, and your code is all up-to-date code and so on. While its worth checking your html and css, I'd still go with everything DaRNCaT listed. Put that and the W3C guidelines together and you probably cant get much better for professional design
I could explain what this is if you've never heard of it, but I'd be here for hours, so here's some useful URL's to visit:
Having your site W3C compliant means it'll work in most browsers, and your code is all up-to-date code and so on. While its worth checking your html and css, I'd still go with everything DaRNCaT listed. Put that and the W3C guidelines together and you probably cant get much better for professional design
- Thread starter
- #5
cian
Technical User
- Oct 11, 2001
- 1,383
In to 7/ above add
test in taget browsers
check all links
check in different resolutions,
check with JS turned off
check with CSS turned off
CHECK FOR ACCESSIBILITY
validate (x)html/css
test download times
Then do it all again!
Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh.![[reindeer]](/data/assets/smilies/reindeer.gif "[reindeer] [reindeer]")
::
test in taget browsers
check all links
check in different resolutions,
check with JS turned off
check with CSS turned off
CHECK FOR ACCESSIBILITY
validate (x)html/css
test download times
Then do it all again!
Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh.
::
-
3
- #7
I see good site design as breaking down into 3 core concepts, each with 5 underlying strategies.
1. Content - content is king, make the site relevant and provide appropriate content. 5 content development strategies include:
a. Focused Content Message - keep message focused and clear
b. Information Architecture - make sure it flows easily, is easily used, and walks your visitor logically through the site
c. Keeping Content Fresh - renew the content consistently
d. Content Focused to Target Audience - develop a clear message and make sure it is focused on your target
e. Benefit Focused Content - make sure the content provides a benefit, either informational or other
2. Design - Sound Website Design utilizes a Logical Design Structure (LDS) that unifies the Website content and Website positioning strategies into a pleasing easy-to-use medium for your visitor. 5 underlying strategies include:
a. Focused Design Message - again, like content, the design needs a focus and should be appropriate to your target market
b. Graphic Balance - Graphics and gimmicks, such as flash presentations, etc. tend to slow down a Website’s load and transition times. Unless you are an artist selling some form of visual art, or your site is marketing highly graphic or sound driven content; you will want to balance the graphics and gimmicks used in your site
c. Ease of Use - Good Website design requires an intuitive flow of graphics, navigation, content, and usability. A design or flow that makes sense to you may not make sense to your end user.
d. Clean, Crisp Design - self explanatory
e. Coordination with Business Image - The graphical design of the website should coordinate with all other marketing and sales literature
3. Position - Website positioning is crucial to gaining a presence in the Internet Media. It takes a coordinated marketing campaign to create business position in brick and mortar and the same applies to the Internet. 5 underlying strategies:
a. Search Engine Optimized Site Design - Strategies for search engine positioning (SEP) and search engine optimization (SEO) include the use of targeted page titles, alt tags (image descriptors), page links, Meta tags, and comment tags, as well as accessibility optimization, site construction and message-focused keywords. SEO strategy utilizes well-designed navigation structure and stresses accessibility.
b. Search Engine Optimized Pages - Each page in your Website must have a purpose and a focused message. Frames are not search engine friendly and a well-constructed page will focus on specific synergistic keywords and phrases as well as be targeted to a specific search engine. An SEO page targeted towards a specific keyword/phrase for Google might be constructed differently to achieve ranking in Alta Vista.
c. Keyword Discovery - Identifying and discovering the best possible keywords and key phrases that appropriately reflect the theme and content of your site, and reflecting these on each individual page throughout the site, is a first step in the content design process. Keywords and phrases need to be used in the title, Meta tags and text of the site to attract "targeted" visitors and to gain high rankings in search engines.
d. Focused Positioning Message - A clear, concise message is more likely to be read, retained, and acted upon by your audience. Therefore, you need to decide on the central message your Website will send to the world. One method for developing your central message is to use your organization’s goals, mission, and current marketing materials to develop an outline of content that should be included in your Website.
e. Search Engine Submission - The actual submission process needs to be done on a continually ongoing basis, and methods of submission are different among search engines and directories. A one time submission of your Website will not produce many results. Search engines are fluid and your ratings will vary over time.
Jordan
1. Content - content is king, make the site relevant and provide appropriate content. 5 content development strategies include:
a. Focused Content Message - keep message focused and clear
b. Information Architecture - make sure it flows easily, is easily used, and walks your visitor logically through the site
c. Keeping Content Fresh - renew the content consistently
d. Content Focused to Target Audience - develop a clear message and make sure it is focused on your target
e. Benefit Focused Content - make sure the content provides a benefit, either informational or other
2. Design - Sound Website Design utilizes a Logical Design Structure (LDS) that unifies the Website content and Website positioning strategies into a pleasing easy-to-use medium for your visitor. 5 underlying strategies include:
a. Focused Design Message - again, like content, the design needs a focus and should be appropriate to your target market
b. Graphic Balance - Graphics and gimmicks, such as flash presentations, etc. tend to slow down a Website’s load and transition times. Unless you are an artist selling some form of visual art, or your site is marketing highly graphic or sound driven content; you will want to balance the graphics and gimmicks used in your site
c. Ease of Use - Good Website design requires an intuitive flow of graphics, navigation, content, and usability. A design or flow that makes sense to you may not make sense to your end user.
d. Clean, Crisp Design - self explanatory
e. Coordination with Business Image - The graphical design of the website should coordinate with all other marketing and sales literature
3. Position - Website positioning is crucial to gaining a presence in the Internet Media. It takes a coordinated marketing campaign to create business position in brick and mortar and the same applies to the Internet. 5 underlying strategies:
a. Search Engine Optimized Site Design - Strategies for search engine positioning (SEP) and search engine optimization (SEO) include the use of targeted page titles, alt tags (image descriptors), page links, Meta tags, and comment tags, as well as accessibility optimization, site construction and message-focused keywords. SEO strategy utilizes well-designed navigation structure and stresses accessibility.
b. Search Engine Optimized Pages - Each page in your Website must have a purpose and a focused message. Frames are not search engine friendly and a well-constructed page will focus on specific synergistic keywords and phrases as well as be targeted to a specific search engine. An SEO page targeted towards a specific keyword/phrase for Google might be constructed differently to achieve ranking in Alta Vista.
c. Keyword Discovery - Identifying and discovering the best possible keywords and key phrases that appropriately reflect the theme and content of your site, and reflecting these on each individual page throughout the site, is a first step in the content design process. Keywords and phrases need to be used in the title, Meta tags and text of the site to attract "targeted" visitors and to gain high rankings in search engines.
d. Focused Positioning Message - A clear, concise message is more likely to be read, retained, and acted upon by your audience. Therefore, you need to decide on the central message your Website will send to the world. One method for developing your central message is to use your organization’s goals, mission, and current marketing materials to develop an outline of content that should be included in your Website.
e. Search Engine Submission - The actual submission process needs to be done on a continually ongoing basis, and methods of submission are different among search engines and directories. A one time submission of your Website will not produce many results. Search engines are fluid and your ratings will vary over time.
Jordan
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