Summary 1

Plan the Perfect Site

Topic 1 - Getting Started

It is important to make sure that everyone on the team, including the client, are on the same page about what they want to achieve as well as establishing realistic expectations for the project. It is also important to create a plan that everyone agrees on as well as deciding what level of planning is needed for the project. Getting started also involves “competitive analysis” of other websites with similar concepts within the same industry to make sure everything is being covered.

Topic 2 - Site maps

Sometimes creating a site map can become cumbersome or confusing, but it can be broken down into sections and reviewed piece by piece before getting started. All elements of a page should be represented in initial paper sketches to establish the structure and layout of the entire website. This includes elements such as headers, footers, logos, etc. to provide the team the basic information about what types of templates they should use.

Topic 3 - Planning Checklist

This section establishes the top five things to consider when planning out the creation of a website; the client, the users, the budget, the technology, and the future. It is important to figure out a good balance between creating what the client wants vs. what the user wants because, in the end, the product is for both parties. Planning a budget also goes hand-in-hand with what type of technology is being used, and everything about the website needs to be adaptable for the ever-changing future of technology.