How to plan out design projects
More Web Design Articles
Taking HTML Further
HTML might seem like a simple language for web documents, and to an extent, it is - that's what it was intended to be. If you know what you're doing, though, you can do a lot more with HTML than you might think. This article should give you a few ideas on how to take HMTL further. Inserting Multimedia Content Plain text and graphics are all well and good, but sooner or later you're going to want to insert some multimedia content, such as a Flash movie, or an audio or video file.
Taking Your Website Mobile
You might have tested your website on every computer browser you can find, but nowadays that's just not enough. Nowadays the web is getting more and more mobile - it's being used on mobile phones, PDAs, and all sorts of other small devices that can be used on-the-go. You need to allow for these visitors as well, but that's easier said than done.
Text Ads: Unobtrusive Advertising
Advertising on the web is big business again, but idea behind the revival is quite strange. Back in the dot-com boom days, all ads were graphical, as it was assumed that this was the best way to get people to click through. However, modern ad companies, led by Google's AdSense division, have found that text advertising works just as well as (if not better than) graphical banners.
The 5 Principles of Effective Navigation
A website's navigation is one of its most important parts. Sure, your users mostly come in through search engines now instead of via your homepage, but how can they get from whatever page they're on to any other page they might want to go to? The limited space available at the top and sides of most web pages (at least when compared to the amount of content many contain) makes good navigation design difficult, but vital.
The Art of the Logo
Logos are difficult to design - if you don't think they are, then the chances are that you have a bad one. Every website needs a logo, and you should lavish a lot of time and attention on yours. Your Logo is Your Face When visitors happen across a website that they haven't seen before, one of the first places they look is at your logo - and that's when they start to form impressions of you.
The Basics of Web Forms
Whenever you want people to enter data and send it to you, you need a web form. Whether the data is as simple as a username and password or as complicated as a full address form, the basic principles remain the same. The Tags Form tags have always been a troublesome part of HTML, simply because they're not often used and require you to memorise a lot of words, depending on what kind of input boxes you want on your form.
The Basics of Web Servers
There are a lot of web servers out there. Whenever you go to a website, you're downloading it from a web server. When you pay money to a web host, what you're really doing is renting a space on their web server. The Internet consists of millions of computers networked together, but it's the servers that are providing all the information that makes up the web - you can't have a website unless it's on a server.
A new web site typically takes about three weeks (depending on size and complexity of web site of course). It is really impossible to say a small business web site will take 3 weeks without reviewing the necessary items and creating a detailed outline of what all will be done, what order and time expectancies for each. Here is a example of a break down and hopefully this will help
PHASE 1: Create web site outline
The first item would to meet with the client and create a very clear outline of what they want and what they need in there web site. This is probably the most imprtant step and if not done properly will cost you a lot of time later down the road.
The client needs to know what will be included for the price they will be quoted. If something is outside the scope they need to know that up front and they will eaither say "Ok add that option" or "No we do not need that" and then it is clear what they will be getting and what they will not.
PHASE 2: Create web site design
Once you are both clear on exaclty what all is to be included on the site then you may start the mockup of what the actual site is going to look like. This mockup (I do all of mine in photoshop) will be the blueprint of the entire site design. The mockup will look exactly like a functional web site only it will be a graphical comp of what to expect from the actual coded pages. With this simple mockup we can determine and make agreements with the client as to what the navigation will look like, color scheme, content position, special content item placement (newsletter signup etc), and functional what the web site will consist of. But with it being a page comp it can be easily changed and modified.
PHASE 3: Approve site design and code page templates
Once the client is happy with the look of the site and you have both agreed on the layout and features, etc. Then the next step is to start the process of coding the page templates. Typically I code two main page templates "home page" and "content page" templates. Home page will also be a different layout and include different items then all of the other pages within the site. Make sure you define clearly what is going to be included on each page type.
PHASE 4: Fill in site with content
Once the site templates have been designed then it is just a matter of filling in the blanks. You can then use your CMS (or just regular html templates) and use these shell templates for homepage and content to generate all of the pages within your site.
Next article I will go into the marketing side of it.
By: James Flynn
Visual Treats | Web design
About the Author
Professional web developer and internet marketer. Have been working in the web field for around 10 years now and have become an expert in all stages of the web design, development, and marketing over the years.
Source: Web Design Articles on ArticlesTree.com
Recent Web Design Articles
Web Design Secret ''" Getting Started Is The Hardest Part
Do you realize thousands of new Websites are added to the incredibly vast catalogue of cyberspace every month? That’s really amazing, especially when you consider this could literally go on forever and the Web would never get “filled up”.
Breaking Down And Analyzing Your Design
What a graphic designer usually does is to mix all the basic ingredients to reflect a particular mood or style in any color printing ad they create. The fonts, the graphic images, the design as well as the color - all of these elements are combined to come up with an ad that would definitely get your target readers' attention.
The importance of web design to your business
The page design of an online business is very valuable and should be taken into consideration if you are planning to start a business. There are plenty of available options and methods and this might bring confusion to you.
Clients From Hell
As a designer, this article is aimed specifically at other designers who have felt my pain! And if you're just breaking into the industry - understand that no matter what you do, you won't be able to avoid the inevitable "Clients From Hell".
Techniques for effective website design
Website design is considered as an important process in advertising a business and can be a very challenging to the designer and webmaster who are engaged in this process. Web design is basically a concept or process of planning, executing and modelling of electronic media content that is delivered with the help of internet.
Web Development and Maintenance Services
In today's competitive world, the importance of web development is just cannot ignored. Every organization has realized the usability and need for professional web site development in order to earn the trusts and confidence of valuable clients throughout the world.
Web site designing and development
Web site designing and development started almost a decade ago but it still have same importance and value. Cyber space is mainly crowded by web sites and new ones are coming in thousands on daily basis so still there is room for web site designing and development companies.
Ingredient Of A Successful Business - Logo
A good logo recipe can let you have a ‘tasty, finger-licking-good’ logo, which makes your business prosper, has to have all the important ingredients added to perfection. With all the ingredients added to its measurement, a logo can boost your business visibility, increase your integrity and make your business unforgettable to its customers.
Web Design: First impression is the last impression
First impression is the last impression; this statement is true for individuals and it applies with the websites also. Millions of people are searching for various products and services over the Internet.
Five layers of separation - designing high quality dynamic websites
Websites are evolving and becoming more dynamic and more interactive. This means that the sites themselves have to cater for more and changing content and a variety of ways of interacting with the site.
How to plan out design projects
A new web site typically takes about three weeks (depending on size and complexity of web site of course). It is really impossible to say a small business web site will take 3 weeks without reviewing the necessary items and creating a detailed outline of what all will be done, what order and time expectancies for each.
How to Get Your Site Visitors (NOT) Doing What You Want
This morning I took a phone call from a young guy who was trying to sell me the benefits of signing up to a new website which had just been launched with registration being offered free of charge as an enticement.
How to Contract a Web Developer: Part I
The initial client-developer discussion is an integral part of the Web design process. This article will take a look at both the client side of the development procedure, as well as the best practice methods for Web developers to employ when speaking to their potential business partners.
The A-Z of Web Design Services
Web design services, in simple terms is the representation of content that is related to a business and uses graphics and designs on the internet in the form of a web application. The website is the most essential feature in online marketing.
E-commerce Solutions - Joomla Development
S-Axxis is a premium software solution company that's known for the quality and the thoroughness of its solutions. We believe in thinking out of the box to improve the clients business by any means and technology possible.