Phase I: Prepare & Plan

Phase I is a brainstorming time for the our design team. Knowledge of the client's company and his or her competitors helps the design team improve the quality of the overall web site. Identifying the potential and current consumers of the client, so that our designers can structure the site design to meet their needs and expectations.

• Study and Research ~ We gather information to help our designers produce a web site of the highest quality possible for our client. This gathering of information includes, but is not limited to, the following:
  
  • Implementing a commonly used language in the content area: We implement the common terminology for the client's profession. For example, if our client is in the music business then we use music terminology that members of that profession and the client's current and potential future consumers would understand.
  • Gather knowledge of client company: We need to know several things about the client's company including, but not limited to, the following information: a full understanding of the business, its goals, its leadership, its reputation, long- and short-term plans, products and/or services, and vision. We will also request to see the company's mission statement. We will ask the following questions to deepen our knowledge of the client and guide our creation of the client's web site:
    • What is the client's main business? What is the client's secondary business?
    • Who are the leaders of the organization?
    • Is it a well-known organization, a start-up or a long-time participant?
    • What is the client's vision for the future of the company?
    • Why is the client interested in having a presence on the Web?
    • Is it a multinational company, a domestic company that engages in commerce in several locations throughout the country or world, a regional business with a few locations or a single location business?
    • What is the rationale for redesigning an existing site or creating a new one?
    • How will the new site affect the existing company? Will it increase sales or facilitate communication with customers? Will employees benefit from the new site? If so, in what ways?
    • Does the company have an intranet?
    • What existing business documents and resources (i.e., databases, etc.) will be incorporated into the Web site?
    • Who will host the site, the company or third party vendor? Will a new site require the client to hire new technical staff or is the current technical personnel sufficient to handle the work?
  • Identify the potential consumers of the client's Web site: We do this because knowledge of who the client’s targeted market helps us refine the site. Potential consumers may include people who use your products, people who make the decision to buy (not necessarily the same as users), employees (internal customers), potential employees, vendors, strategic partners, etc. For each customer demographic a list of specific needs must be defined via company input, primary and secondary research. For example, a web site that was intended for professional musicians would not be treated the same way as a site, which is intended for listeners and buyers of music. In other words, the content and exact terminology used would vary a great deal depending on the targeted market of the site.
  • Gather knowledge about client's competitors: We gather knowledge about a client's competitors including what the competitors are doing well, so that we may improve on it. This helps us provide our clients with web sites of the highest quality.

• Analyze Needs ~ We conduct a Needs Analysis in order to identify our client's on-line priorities. During this analysis, we clarify the client's goals to provide direction to the design team. It is important to identify both objective and subjective expectations, so the client is contacted for feedback. The objective needs can be fully developed by further exploring the web site mission and objectives. Subjective needs are based on a company's preferences for the look and feel of their site. We ask questions and pay attention to the answers. We want to understand the client's consumers as well as the client's competition. The Needs Analysis should at least answer the following questions:


• What they want to site to achieve?


• How the site will be used by the business?


• What the clients' competitors are doing?


• What content and functionality the clients want their site to offer?


• The platforms and systems on which the site will function?


• How the site will be marketed and maintained?


• What the project budget is?
• Develop Site Specifications and Standards ~ Our design team's concise statement of core goals, values, and intent, to provide the ultimate policy direction for everything that comes next. Our site specifications are typically very short and to the point. It should be noted that these specifications may consist mainly of bullet lists or outlines of the major design or technical features planned. They define the content scope, schedule, budget, and technical aspects of the Web site. Our final site specification contain the structural details of the site and the goals statement from the planning phase. During this time, these issues are addressed:
  • Goal Statements: Measurable goals are created from the needs statement information.
  • User Profiles and Scenarios: Preliminary ideas about the types of users who will most likely use this site.
  • Content Requirements and Sources: Detailed list of required content for this site.
  • Technical Requirements: Detailed description of site's technical requirements.
  • URL Selection: Information on available URLs.
  • Clarified Expectations: Expectations regarding creative direction with the client. This is the first of several meetings and the one when all creative issues are addressed. The client signs a summary statement of the meeting and receives a copy of this signed statement, which we use to demonstrate approval was earned before we proceeded any further.

• Develop Project Management Plan ~ This is our official contract with the client. This planning will later on be refined as we gain a deeper understanding of what the client wants to achieve with his or her web site. The finalized project management plan will include:
• an introduction about us


• an overview of the needs of the client


• the problems the client has


• Web development methodology—what's important and why


• proposed site flow chart


• extra features list


• how the proposed site fixes the client's problems


• testimonials and case study


• key recommendations


• costs (hosting, domain, software, etc.)


• frequently asked questions


• suggested next step


• price

Once Phase I is successfully completed, we proceed to Phase II. Please note that we will begin Phase II only when both requirements and costs have been approved by the client, which is demonstrated by the client signing project management plan and receiving a copy of this signed document. Please see Process for an overview of our entire procedure.

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