Get Ready for Liftoff with Careful Website Planning
Creating a new or updated website is exciting, much like launching a rocket into space. It involves detailed strategy, design, and development, although the benefit of planning may be underestimated.
Design, development, and project management are essential and recognized roles in website projects. Here's how I filled crucial gaps when redesigning the online presence of the Little Hoover Commission.
I partnered with Strata Marketing Group to help the Little Hoover Commission evolve its website into an impactful resource for its audience, boosting the Commission's brand and mission.
Here's a peek behind the curtain of my web strategy and architecture process:
1. Analyze the Existing Site and System
Review: The organizational structure
Process: How are additions and edits performed?
Branding: Check all applications of the logo
Content: Audit the existing content and its structure.
2. Interview Stakeholders
Audience: How do they use the site? What are their expectations? How does the organization wish to be perceived?
Organization: What are the organizational expectations? What are the site's shortcomings? Where does it shine? What brand attributes should be projected?
3. Document Strategy
Analysis of competing or parallel websites.
Review historical site (Google) analytics.
Develop solutions for all the issues facing the new site.
Establish criteria for the project's success.
Get agreement on the path forward.
4. Create Wireframes
Revise the site organization to reflect the web strategy.
Illustrate the use of each page level with mock content.
Demonstrate hiarchy and use of the pages real estate.
Vet navigation and content systems.
5. Design Collaboration
6. Development Collaboration
Although these disciplines require specialized talent from gifted professionals, collaborative work sessions refine the way design, code, and content support website delivery.
7. Content Wrangling
Content is the main reason why audiences visit a website, but obtaining it can be challenging. Content includes written copy, documents, photos, illustrations, graphs, and even captions and headlines. During this phase, I helped our point of contact in delegating, gathering, and reviewing the content before posting.
8. Working the Punchlist
A punch list is simply a to-do list for tasks. The last days and weeks before launch depend on completing all the small tasks, such as finding photos and writing to fill in gaps. Having weekly meetings to review the punch list was helpful, and daily quick reviews were also beneficial. Each item checked off the list brings the team closer and closer to...
9. Launch!