Tring Web Design - Design Process and Methodology

Step 1 - Your requirements

The first stage in deciding to setup a website consists of the following steps;

Deciding on a domain name

You would want to go for either your company or brand name or something that describes your product or service. I can suggest for you a selection of available, appropiate names that will help your SEO.

Purchase web hosting

The level of features you require in a web hosting account largely depends on the type of site you are looking to setup. If it is a simple borchure type site then you wouldn't need advanced features. On the other hand if you are looking for a web application to serve your customers need then you may be looking at databases and programming languages.

Content is king

You need something to put onto your website. If you are interested in e-commerce then this would most likely be product shots and descriptions. If on the other hand your site is more informative then you will need to provide text for individual pages and perhaps some images to complement the copy. If you require images I can source them for you.

Site structure

How you lay out your site hierarchy determines your page structure and eventually navigation.There are a few essential pages for a website. Your home page, describing your service or product and leading visitors elsewhere within your site. A contact page, so potential customers can contact you. Other pages may include products, downloads, services.

Once these initial parameters are laid down, the process can start. These may change throughout the project.

Step 2 - The design process

I have a BA Product Design and the skills which i learnt are transferrable to web design and development. Essentially if I take on a project I will use the following process;

Initial concepts - 5 or 6 initial rough ideas to get a feel for direction, usually presented as mock-up images of the home page and a few other key pages
Selected concepts - 1 or 2 chosen ideas presented
Final concept - the chosen idea to ensure the design meets your guidelines before going into full production
Production - the chosen idea goes into production and the HTML template is built
User testing - more extensive testing of the site to iron out any last minute bugs/changes
Site live

Continual dialogue between you and myself will ensure that your project stays on course. The process above isn't rigid and steps can be skipped.

Step 3 - Ongoing maintenance

Getting a website up and running is only really the first stage. Unlike printed publications, which once done cannot be altered, the web is in continual change. Maintennance may include updating copy or images, adding new pages, changing the structure. Search Engine Optimisation is also a continual process, submitting to search engines, seeking out reciprocal links.