Preserved Topic: website preparation

Lately I've been loaded with projects to do, and it seems like not enough time AT ALL to finish them. Usually before I do a website, I'll put on paper a mind map. In the center I'll write home (or the url of the site) and then branch off different links. Then I'll create the look and feel of the home page. From there I'll template the rest of the pages (to fit the look and feel of my homepage). I'll then start working on one page at a time, adding images and content as I think of it or get ideas but I'm finding that this is kind of time consuming. I think I need a more systematic process.

I guess my question is, what are your methods (before and during) in preparing a site? Do any of you have a routine way of site preparation and development? If so I'd like to hear about it...



[This message has been edited by jive (edited 06-20-2002).]

Honestly, lately I've been becoming inspired but flipping through a few of my moms interior design magazines. I know that sounds silly but afterall its just another aspect of design. They're good in that they show how different colors and shapes interact with each other. Of course thats just lately. Typically I prepare to create a website by a few hours of jogging and drawing. I usually start of in the park and jog a few miles then collapse in front of a tree with a pencil and notebook and doodle. The jogging gives me a chance to just THINK. Theres no distractions. No ones talking to me. I have no paperwork to do or papers to write. The doodling is me taking my thoughts and applying them to paper.

Seems to work for me. Although everyone works different.

Was that what you were asking for?

-Jestah
Cell 277

I'm actully looking for how you actually prepare the site itself. (like what do you write/doodle in that paper). Do you gather all the photo's and content before hand, or do you just kinda come up with it as it comes?

Well for me, its more of whatever comes to mind.

I really have no set preparation that I do before I design. It's really a matter of what comes to me and when it comes to me. After all my sketching I generally go into Photoshop and create the same layout in there. After that I slice up my images and open up notepad. I peice together my website and as new ideas come to me it evolves. Sometimes I'll only have half an idea though. Like for instance I'll have the general layout design, but no cool navigation in mind. So then I usually start the layout and later on when I'm inspired I'll work on the navigation.

I don't know how others do it, but its more of what just comes to me.

-Jestah
Cell 277

Skething on random sheets or in the sketchbooks I keep with me is great, but I find that the first "BIG" step in preparation for me is creating the palette.

Website colours are incredibly important in the design, so I try to have my palette all laid out for use along the way. Before I do a damned thing with my template piece in PS, a palette layer is created. Each colour is constrained in a box so that I can eyedrop from them along the way. Also, just in case, I save the hex values of my palette colours in a text file with my site files.

From there it's a free for all. Working out the areas to realize what's in my head, or doodled on sheets, amending most of it because it'll need changes. etc. etc.

It's amazing what nailing down your colour scheme does to your mental visions though.



Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate

sounds to me like everyone pretty much does it as it comes...thats pretty much what I do.

hmmm. . . I tried to sit down and come up with a good method but things change. I usually sit back and "think" about the site. What all would I want to include where things might go, that kind of thing.

After that I usually go to the paper thing. I work on a logo, kind of draw out what the pages will be and then work on what the main desing will look like.

Then I hit photoshop. I do the logos first and then work on a complete layout of the page. Before I actually start coding anything I let the client see a the picture of the page and insure them that *this* will be what the page will look like.

I have a ton of templates that I can work with, CSS/HTML and all that stuff.

Check out Doc's post in Outpatient Counciling to see what he did. That is *kind* of the way I do it.

Just think that what you come up with on paper is not necessarily what you will go with, it is just something to work from. Kind of an *idea* kind of thing. Something to work with instead of going at it blindly.

It is pretty much the same type of method that I used when composing music.

Don't know if that is what you want but that is the way I work.

Later,
C:\


~Binary is best~

no, this is exactly what I'm looking for, C: do you have a couple examples of the templates that you have? Are they just layout templates?

I just start with a basic layout and colour scheme, then add links/content and end up tweaking for hours.

[EDIT: Really slow process, kinda sucks]


Padded Room #623