Customer Ownership

Project Analysis: Our first step is to research and analyze your project, starting with your goals and resources. If your project is large, we'll take time to shop the competitions' web sites. This analysis will become the basis of the project proposal submitted to you. The proposal includes a graphical "map" outlining an initial view of the web site.

When your job is done, If you want to maintain and update the site yourself, we can train your staff or provide assistance on an "as needed" basis.

Your responsibility:

• Describe your wants, needs and current situation.
• State your—
  • business and web site goals
  • audience profile
  • desired web site features and functionality
  • marketing needs

Information Architecture: We work closely with you to help you identify existing documents that can be readily adapted to a new purpose in your web site. We identify where new information is needed and write it ourselves. As experienced technical writers, we can write, editing and proof information and make the content web ready." The resulting information architecture will be presented to you as a site map or navigation map visually showing the relationship of the information chunks and how navigation through the information will occur. Purchasers of our Starter Kits can contract our writing, editing and proofing services separately.

Your responsibility:

• Provide existing documents
• Make arrangements for revisions to existing documents and/or
• Have new material created
• Review the site map and make sure it meets your needs

Visual and Interactivity Design: These two basic elements of new media design are often developed together. Now is the time for exploring graphic looks, metaphors, and interaction possibilities. We will present a variety of visual directions, discuss the visual communications of each example and wrap this phase up with a prototype. This allows you to begin to experience the Web site, fine tune navigation, and test the pages in different Web browsers before too many pages are created. Starter Kit purchasers of more than six pages will be able to review a prototype and make minor changes.

Your responsibility:

• Provide your ideas on design direction
• Review and provide feedback on the design concepts presented and the demo
• Gather the needed graphics, such as photographs or logos

Web Site Production: Two kinds of production processes go on during this step. Professional graphics production includes optimizing and compressing all the visual design elements and scans for the Web site. HTML programming includes combining all the design elements, art assets, and approved text content into Web pages. JavaScript or other technologies are added as contracted and hidden keyword and site description information (meta tags) are added to specified pages to enhance search engine indexing.

Your responsibility:

• Provide business specific information for the meta tags enhancing the search engine rating of your site

Site Uploading and Testing: This phase positions the site on the Web server and tests its functionality. The files are checked for content accuracy and design consistency, and all links, navigation, dynamic elements and form submission functions are verified.

Your responsibility:

• Review the entire site