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Web Design and Development Guidelines

GO! Creative is pleased to offer quality web interface design, development, database design and database integration services. This document describes how the process will work and helps you understand what to expect. The steps in the process are as follows:

Preliminary Steps—Providing Your Requirements

In order for us to begin, you will need to provide:

  • graphic standard guidelines, if applicable.
  • a site map (should indicate all contents of the website and where the various components are to appear). Be as specific as possible. For example, the site map should include:
    • Home Page:
      • 1. Clearly indicate primary navigation buttons to appear on the home page and the associated text.
      • 2. Clearly indicate secondary navigation buttons to appear on the home page and the associated text.
      • 3. Indicate several news items to be started on the home page and linked to an inside page
      • 4. Indicate special programs and associated logos, if applicable, that need to be highlighted on the homepage and linked to their respective pages.
      • 5. Provide photographs, artwork and text for the homepage.
    • Provide list for drop down menus and contents for primary and secondary navigation buttons
    • If applicable, indicate specific areas where a content management module will be needed for updating the site by you in the future.
    • Indicate whether you will need a search engine.
    • Identify any database needs, e-commerce, online forms, etc.
    • Identify the need for an intranet component.

Requirements Analysis

Once we understand your requirements, GO! Creative will develop a design brief lllustratingyour site architecture and specifying any provided design direction or identity guidelines. In addition, a technical requirements document will be started to detail the development environment and requirements for the Content Management System (CMS), if required.

TIMELINE: The Design Brief will require 2 to 3 days to develop. A technical requirements document detailing the development environment will require 2 days, however, a complete CMS requirements document may require 2 to 3 weeks to allow for client feedback.

Interface Design

GO! Creative will provide two design options for your homepage. Once you select, a template will be designed and presented to you for the inside pages. At this point, GO! Creative will establish an online location (development server) for you to review your site while it is under development.

TIMELINE: The initial design phase with two rounds of client revisions should take two weeks to complete. Additional revisions will extend this timeline.

Preliminary Navigation Development

After design approval, you will provide the final web site map. GO! Creative will construct the working navigation for the approved designs. We will present the navigation to you for approval on the development server. (Note: Revisions to the site map and site structure after this point will result in charges above the stated estimate.)

TIMELINE: This step should take 1 week.

Interface Development/Database Design

Once the navigation system is approved, GO! Creative will begin the development of the full site. All copy and client supplied text, images, links, pdfs, documents and all other information that is to appear on your site need to be provided at this time. If required, database design will begin following receipt of an approved CMS Requirements document. You will also provide the information/keywords to be searchable by your search engine.

TIMELINE: Depending on the size of the site, this will take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks (longer
for database driven sites).

At this step, corrections will be incorporated and billed at at an hourly rate.

Site Launch

Once the site is approved for launch, we will upload the site to its final location. If you are using your current host, you will need to provide us with the ftp address as to where to post the newly-designed site. Login and Password information must also be provided.

TIMELINE: In most cases this will take 1 to 2 days.


ABOUT THE CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

If you decide you would like to update your website, the Content Management System
(CMS) is a web-integrated application that allows site administrators to easily update their
site content through web forms in a rich text environment. Because the CMS is developed in a
modular design architecture, it is a solution that can be truly customized to fit your exact
needs.

There are three levels of customization to the CMS. These are:

  • Custom Developed Modules
  • Copy Editor
  • Navigation Editor

Many web sites do not require an expensive, fully featured CMS in order to keep their content up to date on their site. Custom Developed Modules handle specific tasks such as adding news releases or updating an events calendar. We can create custom solutions for News Releases, Events, Newsletters, or online Portfolios. These modules can be used individually or in any combination.

In addition to the Custom Developed Modules, we can create a custom integrated Copy Editor to allow the content management of any page within the site. This Copy Editor is integrated within the site and allows the site administrator to add/edit/delete copy on each page, format text, add/edit/delete images, and add/edit/delete links. The Copy Editor does not allow the administrator to add/edit/delete primary and subnavigation items within the site. The Copy Editor can be used in conjunction with any or all of the Custom Developed Modules.

At the most costly and advanced level, the addition of the Navigation Editor to the Copy Editor and Custom Developed Modules allows site administrators to add/edit/delete pages within the primary navigation and subnavigation areas of the site. (Note: For those without site administrators, GO! Creative will provide this function on a periodic basis for an hourly fee.)

We look forward to helping you develop your website to be a valuable marketing and communications tool for your organization.