Web development comes in two forms these days, the definition of a new online presence or the overhauling of an unsuccessful presence. We will discuss the first here. To learn more about how GRSDesign can correct issues with an existing site see our site redesign offering.

Creating an online presence is a difficult step for any company. Here at GRSDesign we believe in the old saying "Measure twice, cut once." Time spent planning and formulating a high quality extendable web presence will save real dollars later as your site evolves. GRSDesign consultants are experienced in helping a company define a voice and presentation that will succeed in translating your business objectives into a powerful online user experience.

The success of this process stems from taking the right approach at each phase of a web site's development.

Analysis

Business Analysis
It is only through a clear definition of a business's messages and online goals that a well-made web site can be created. A company's message and goals will correspond to a visual style, user tasks and user objectives. Taken as a whole these components will create the user experience. The sites goals must be plainly communicated and actively maintained to ensure that the site does not drift from its purpose.

Competitive analysis
A competitive analysis will provide the tools and ideas to outshine your competition. By devising better solutions to your competitor's problem areas while utilizing the application of their successful ideas, GRSDesign can create a site that provides a compelling user experience. A competitive analysis will also help define a successful visual presentation allowing a company to establish a place among the competition or to stand out in the crowd.

User Analysis
A user analysis looks to guide the design of a site with an understanding of the target audiences by gender, age, social and economic factors and behavior patterns. Some user audiences will need additional guidance through the navigation and general site processes while a web familiar audience will not. This study helps define what level of complexity and technology a specific target audience is able or ready to comprehend. A clearly defined target audience will help guide the tone and create essential usability requirements.

In complex sites there is sometimes a secondary audience of users within your company who will maintain and update the site content on a regular basis. System requirements for maintenance teams can be gathered through a secondary user analysis that will provide the information to create a structured site development workflow essential to preserving a web site's quality and consistency.

Information Architecture & User Experience
An artistic site that frustrates a user with abstract navigation or flawed information architecture will soon be abandoned. Users access a web to accomplish a task. A successful architecture includes navigation standards, and task definitions that allow a system to accept, process, store and display data/information in a meaningful and useful way. With user tasks as a guide, GRSDesign creates a flow that is straightforward and efficient. Textual and graphic cues enhance the navigation process, guiding the user to their goals.

Site Maps and Content Maps.
Once basic information and analysis has taken place, the construction of a site map can begin. A detailed site map will break down business goals and tasks into sections, process steps and finally tasks per page. A site map provides both an abstract view of an entire site and details that includes the site's pages, functional sections, and decision paths.

Once a site map has been completed content maps can be created. A content map is a structural blueprint for a specific web page, often indicating the placement of key elements such as navigation, branding components and content blocks. Based on these structural layouts, designers can begin to develop effective compelling designs.

Paper/Rapid Prototyping
Rapid prototypes can be used to confirm the success of proposed task flows in sections of a web site where complex processes take place. Navigational labels, section headings and form elements can be tested for placement and clarity before time has been spent on design and production. By creating a virtual layout for the pages a tester can use a sample
audience to confirm the usability of the layout, quickly resolve areas
of confusion and tune the task flow to the target audiences' needs.

Front-end Development
Once the essential information has been gathered, front-end development can begin. Task flows, design requirements, business analysis, user analysis, corporate branding, and information architecture are blended into visual layouts for the site . Prototypes and task flows are surrounded in layouts that strongly convey the brand and enhance site processes.

Several examples of design layouts for the site are produced and then through a process of elimination a final design is settled upon. The final designs are then broken into graphical components for the web pages and structural code.

Creating Dynamic Sites
Some sites or sections of sites require a different level of flexibility if the information is to be dynamic. Dynamic content can range from press releases to whole sections of a site that are published daily. Special care must be taken to ensure that page layouts remain useful and functional with the changing of content. Using specific coding tricks and design schemes, a page can be created to provide a minimum of impact to usability while offering maximum flexibility.