The Five 'D's of Web Development
Web sites don't just appear. A lot goes into making them. There are five essential steps Graphtek takes to come up with an effective Web site.
THE FIVE "D"s
Discovery, Design, Development, Deployment and Discussion.
DISCOVERY
Discovery's where we and the client and sit down and ask and answer some very basic questions. They determine
the site’s vision and goals.
Perhaps the most important single question is, “Who is the audience?” Remember, the Web site's not just for the client or designer’s satisfaction; it's for a specific audience's satisfaction. Know to whom to direct the site’s message.
Another question is to know exactly what the site should accomplish. It may be designed to inform, to sell, to create interest in a product or service, to solicit money for a charitable cause or a combination of goals. Spell this out exactly in plain English. If the audience doesn't understand what you're saying, you're not communication ... you're merely spouting gibberish.
Maintaining the site is another factor determines the site’s functional features. Here's where Graphtek’s Content Management Solutions (CMS) shine! It provides nine “toolbox” modules. The “out-of-the-box” modules include “announcements” that schedules announcements to appear on the site; “Web Content” is used to edit and organize the site’s content pages; “Documents” is updates, edits and deletes documents to the Web site; “Publications” is for the addition, editing and scheduling of publications such as newsletters and e-zines; “Event Calendar” is for scheduling events; the “Bulk E-Mail” tool is for managing e-mail lists, updating memberships and composing bulk e-mailings; the “Membership” tool adds or deletes members to special groups, such as customers, vendors or clients; and the “Message Board” tool is for creating and editing posts to the site’s message board.
In addition, Graphtek can create custom-designed modules to fulfill specialized needs. An example is ticket sales for specific events, e-blasts linked to calendar events, membership lists, on-line catalogues, search engines, shopping carts. The only limitation is your imagination!
Another basic question to ask is whether the site is to navigated, or read, from the top to bottom or left to right. This is a simple question, but one that is often overlooked. Remember the audience and make it as easy for them as possible.
Determine the site's requirements. This means sit down and outline the site itself. This should include what page types are desired.
Establish a budget. Everything costs money. Knowing what everything costs and how much money is available will help in designing the Web site.
Finally, establish a schedule. Know how long it will take to get the site operational and plan accordingly. Establish realistic deadlines.
DESIGN
In the Design step, we present one to three design mockups based upon information
gathered in the Discovery phase. You choose a specific design mockup and you may request changes. We present the final
design mockup iand the next stage begins upon your approval.
DEVELOPMENT
Development is the nuts-and-bolts
part putting together a Web site. Now that we've agreed
on a vision and design mockup, our programmer gets to work.
The programmer takes the design mockup file and codes each page type in HyperText Markup Language (HTML). This HTML coding is converted into ColdFusion script and tied to a database. This creates a dynamic, interactive site.
Once completed, we store the site on a private test area on one of our servers. Both you and we conduct a series of quality assurance tests to review the site’s functionality, content and appearance.
DEPLOYMENT
The Deployment stage is the final
step to getting the site live on the Internet.
First, we train you in CMS. While CMS is easy to use, it does require some instruction in its full capabilities and use.
When we're all happy, the site goes live. This involves setting the IP Address
of the site to Graphtek’s Server in
DISCUSSION
Discussion is when we all sit down and evaluate the entire
process. The review determines what was done right and what was done wrong. With
this knowledge, we can improve and streamline its own processes and find
better ways to serve in the future.
We then then ask, “What’s next?” At this time, future steps and projects between us are considered.
Finally we look to the site’s future maintenance. Fees for the CMS modules include technical support, software fixes and enhancements to the modules.
Additional modules; modification to the template, graphic elements, functionality, data input or project management; are available for a separate fee.
