After our initial meeting, we’ll want to set up a time to talk about the development process, which generally involves the following steps:
Define Audience
Think about who will be using your site (or who you want to use the site). With a well-defined audience in mind, we can help tailor your content so that users get only the information they want and need.
Review Content
For new sites, begin by gathering any existing content you’d like to provide to visitors, and identify any materials that will need to be created from scratch. We can assist with designing graphics, choosing appropriate imagery, and re-purposing promotional or print materials for the web.
For existing sites, we can help review your current content and eliminate ROT (redundant, outdated, and trivial content). Keeping your site well pruned and curated will help users navigate easily as well as improve search rankings.
Establish Goals
We access the web via “browsers,” but few of us actually want to browse. Most users want to get to a site, find what they need, and get on with their day. By establishing user goals, we can help create a site that is intuitive, action-oriented, and easy to use.
List Requirements
Depending on your user goals, special features or custom development may be necessary. From simple features like custom forms and event(s) calendars to full web applications, we can help identify the scope of your project and create custom solutions to meet your needs.
Outline Site Structure
Once all the content and features have been identified, it’s time to organize them in an intuitive and user-friendly way. Good site organization is not only essential for a good user experience, but it can also help drive traffic and increase interaction.
Provide Design Preferences
As part of our research and preparation, we will conduct a review of other sites in your same field to identify any standards or best practices. However, it’s always helpful for you to provide us with examples of sites you like so that the end product meets your aesthetic expectations. (All university-related sites must adhere to UF Health and University of Florida branding standards.)
Determine Deadlines
We usually operate on an ASAP basis, but concrete deadlines will help us allocate resources and make sure that your project is completed on or before the deadline.