Web Site Design

Concept

Define

It is important to define the purpose of your website as one of the first steps in the planning process. A purpose statement should show focus based on what your website will accomplish and what the users will get from it. A clearly defined purpose will help the rest of the planning process as the audience is identified and the content of the site is developed. Setting short and long term goals for your website will help make the purpose clear and plan for the future when expansion, modification, and improvement will take place. Measurable objectives should be identified to track the progress of the site and determine success.

Defining the audience is a key step in your website planning process. The audience is the group of people who are expected to visit your website – the market being targeted. These people will be viewing the website for a specific reason and it is important to know exactly what they are looking for when they visit the site. A clearly defined purpose or goal of the site as well as an understanding of what visitors want to do or feel when they come to your site will help to identify the target audience. Upon considering who is most likely to need or use the content, a list of characteristics common to the users such as:

• Information Preferences
• Computer Specifications
• Web Experience

Taking into account the characteristics of the audience will allow an effective website to be created that will deliver the desired content to the target audience.

Web design is different than traditional print publishing. Every website is an information display container, just as a book is a container; and every web page is like the page in a book. However the end size and shape of the web page is not known to the web designer, whereas the print designer will know exactly what size paper he will be printing on. For the typical web sites, the basic aspects of design are:

The content: the substance, and information on the site should be relevant to the site and should target the area of the public that the website is concerned with.

The usability: the site should be user-friendly, with the interface and navigation simple and reliable.

A web site typically consists of text, images, animation and /or video. The first page of a web site is known as the Home page or Index Page. Some web sites use what is commonly called a Splash Page. Splash pages might include a welcome message, language or region selection, or disclaimer, however search engines, in general, favor web sites that don't do this which has caused these types of pages to fall out of favor. Each web page within a web site is a file which has its own URL. After each web page is created, they are typically linked together using a navigation menu composed of hyperlinks.

The appearance: the graphics and text should include a single style that flows throughout, to show consistency. The style should be professional, appealing and relevant.

Perhaps you have your own template or would like to choose your template from the many resources available that pertains to your organization / business. We at hP Graphics Design will work with you to bring it to life with your brand of who you are and what you represent. (using the clients logo, name, photos, etc).

There are many choices of information based on your criteria to consider when deciding how you want your web site to look. Review the following:

• Color
• Style
• Format
• Type of Menus (drop or static)
• Social Media Type included? (Facebook, Twitter etc.)
• Site Search

We will go over your selection with you to be sure all aspects are covered.

See Things to consider … here.