Planning and Designing Your Site


So, you have your first project in mind or maybe even a client or two lined up and you're ready to break out your new copy of Macromedia Studio and start building websites, right? But where do you start? Should you start creating tables, drawing images, or creating keyframes? If you want to set yourself up for success and avoid frustration and wasted time, the best place to start isn't necessarily with Studio, but with a good old-fashioned pencil and notepad.

When it comes to creating a website, a little preplanning can go a long way in determining the elements you need, the tools you'll require to create them, and the process involved to bring the project to completion. Rather than just tossing design ideas into the workspace, try answering a few questions that can guide you in the process, such as

  • What kind of site am I looking to build?

  • Who is my target audience? Is this for the Web or an intranet?

  • What features and functionality will serve the audience?

  • What type of content will be added to the pages? Static or dynamic?

  • If dynamic, what database management system will be needed and what platform will be used?

  • How many pages will the site require? What types of pages are they?

  • Does a template for look and feel already exist?

  • Is artwork already available for use? If not, do I know what layout would work best?

  • Where will this site be hosted?

  • Does the host offer the server functionality (such as databases, specific platforms, and so on) that I need?

Caution

This is in no way an exhaustive list of questions that you should be discussing with your client, but a simple list of generic questions that can serve as a starting point for a conversation.


Tip

Maintain a running list of questions and answers for each of your projects or clients. In addition, with each project that you complete, review the questions and answers and add any appropriate questions to a master question list that you use with each new client.


These questions, among many others, can be a starting point for putting together a project plan. This plan lays out the process of building the site and gets you started in thinking about the potential issues that might arise.

For instance, suppose that for the exercises in this book, you have been approached by a local motorcycle dealership who would like you to build a site that advertises their services, allows people to contact them, and also displays the various motorcycles that they have in stock. They have a logo that they use on their letterhead, but would like for you to create a new logo for use on the Web. After a little time talking with the client and planning, you have the following answers to your questions:

Q:

What kind of site am I looking to build?

A:

A small, 1015 page site that is attractive, easy to navigate, and presents all the information the client has asked for.

Q:

Who is my target audience? Is this for the Web or an intranet?

A:

This is a website and the audience is potential customers in the client's local area who are researching motorcycles for purchase.

Q:

What features and functionality will serve the audience?

A:

The site should have a basic set of pages, including a home page, contact page, "about us" page with an employee slideshow, a page about services offered, and a list of motorcycles (and their details) for sale. Eventually, they would also like to add functionality for selling merchandise via eCommerce.

Q:

What type of content will be added to the pages? Static or dynamic?

A:

Because the client is asking for future capacity for eCommerce, it would be best to use pages that draw their content from a database. If the site is designed this way from the start, adding the appropriate tables and pages to accommodate eCommerce should be easier down the road. In addition, the information about the motorcycles in inventory can be stored in the database as well.

Q:

If dynamic, what database management system (DBMS) will be needed and what platform will be used?

A:

Because this will not begin as a high-traffic site and cost is an issue, Microsoft Access is suitable for the DBMS. If the site generates traffic beyond what Access is capable of handling, the site can then be upgraded to SQL Server.

Q:

How many pages will the site require? What types of pages are they?

A:

The site will require approximately 10 pages based on the ColdFusion platform.

Q:

Does a template for look and feel already exist?

A:

No. The client would like for you to provide the layout.

Q:

Is artwork already available for use? If not, what layout would work best?

A:

Artwork is not available, so the client would like you to create it for the site.

Q:

Where will this site be hosted?

A:

The client is a member of a local Chamber of Commerce and has arranged to have the site hosted there for a monthly fee.

Q:

Does the host offer the server functionality (for example, databases, specific platforms, and so on) that I need?

A:

Yes. After a discussion with the Chamber of Commerce, it was determined that the server is running ColdFusion Server on a Windows 2000 Server platform, so creating connections to an Access database poses no problems.

Armed with the answers to these questions, you are now ready to think about what tools you have at your disposal and what, if any, tools you need to acquire for the project.



Special Edition Using Macromedia Studio 8
Special Edition Using Macromedia Studio 8
ISBN: 0789733854
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 337

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