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WebDesign: SiteProjectExperienceDesign

Refer to Summers and Summers, chap 3, pp 49 - 65. The chapter covers method, level of detail, and set out criteria.

This is one of the trickiest and the most essential steps in design, so don't short it. Chapter 3 in Summers and Summers is a good guide to developing your site map, wireframes, navigation, terminology, and visual design. We'll look at some techniques and criteria in class.

You'll want to work together as well as designate tasks to individual members.

Did I mention this? Refer to Summers and Summers, chap 3, pp 49 - 65.

You won't be able to do the site map and wireframes on the wiki, so turn to whatever means you find comfortable: page layout, tagboard and markers, whatever.

Work from your user personas and your content inventory as you design the site. Keep them in front of you as you work. I will being asking you to connect your design decisions to the user goals you developed in the user personas.

When in doubt as to what to include or what level of detail to work in, refer to Summers and Summers.

The map

• Work from your content inventory and user goals to develop the site map, and from the map to develop navigation and wireframes.
• Level of detail: include section names and page names.
• Don't over-design. Your site can be very simple and compact, on one level, with all the navigation visible on every page.

The wireframes

• Create a wireframe for each major kind of page. Anticipate that your home page might be laid out differently than the content pages.
• Refer back to your first set of wireframes and sketches from the web: hard bottom or soft? flexible layout or static?
• This is the time to experiment with different layouts. Again, refer to your user personas and their goals to make design choices.
• Include navigation nomentclature on your wireframes. Make them large enough to work with.

Use the advice of the chapter and the checklist on pp 63 - 64 to help you design these materials. The lists are there to help you check and develop your design work; they do not guarantee success.

I'll be evaluating your materials using the checklist on pp 63 - 64, but I will return them to you right away.