Week one of the new semester, week 17 on the academic calendar, and I’ve already started to grasp some of the ideas behind FLASH and CSS, among other web terms…
Many of us have grown up with the internet and become very familiar with certain terms having to do with this sophisticated tool. But like me, you may not have completely understood all the basic words in web-terminology. So what do terms like the internet, HTML, browser and search engine really mean?
In my own words (after having briefed myself just a bit on bbc.co.uk):
The Internet: A network of computers, and this network is a transportation system that allows information (digital data) to flow between ports.
HTML: A universal computer code, a kind of language used for making websites.
Browser: A software program used to get on the internet. The browser takes the signals that are online and transforms them into the visual side of the internet. Examples of popular web-browsers are: Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari and Mozilla Firefox.
Search Engine: A computer program that makes it easier to search for a specific piece of information among the mass of data online. Essentially it’s a lot like using the search tool on your own computer, but an online search engine, like Google or Yahoo, will search the entire web.
In order for a web designer to create an appropriate website that best suits the clients needs and wishes, he or she must know how to get a good brief from client in the best possible way. Here are a few questions the lecturer provided:
1. What kind of visitors are you expecting on your website? (Consider their income, interests, gender and age.)
2. Who are your competitors and how do you differ from them?
3. What actions do you want visitors to take on the site?
4. What is your deadline for completing the site? How big is the budget?
5. What features should be used on your website? (This includes things like contact forms, pictures, videos, etc.)
6. Please list the names of three sites that you like and explain what you like about them.
7. Do you have any colour preferences? What should the look and feel for the website be?
8. Who will be the contact person for this project?
9. What do you NOT want on your site in terms of text, content, colour and graphic elements?
10. Who will be responsible for maintaining the website? Will the person have the time and skills to do so?
In this weeks learning activity we were to look at these ten questions and come up with ten more. So here are mine:
1. Do you have any existing designs, like logo or product photos that would be good to use in the design? Or a profile manual?
2. What does you business do, and what is the biggest obstacle to success in your business? And what do you feel this website can do about that?
3. What are the mandatory items thats should be included on the website?
4. What are your general expectations for the website?
5. What kind of device or software do you expect people to use to view your site? Smartphones? iPads? Laptops?
6. Do you have a wish list of features? If so, please rank these features in order of priority. Calendar? Blog? Social networking? Gallery? Maps?
7. What would be your top 20 target search items?
8. Who will be doing the SEO?
9. Do you have a sitemap in mind? If not, what are the main pages that should be included?
10. How would you like to interact during the process of building the website? How much would you like me to communicate with you? And how will be collaborate creatively? 50/50, or will one side have complete creative control?
And the last part of the learning activity was to pick out the ten questions I would want to ask my client if I were to design a website:
1. What does you business do, and what is the biggest obstacle to success in your business? And what do you feel this website can do about that?
2. What kind of visitors are you expecting on your website? (Consider their income, interests, gender and age.)
3. What actions do you want visitors to take on the site?
4. Please list the names of three sites that you like and explain what you like about them.
5. Do you have any existing designs, like logo or product photos that would be good to use in the design? Or a profile manual?
6. Do you have any colour preferences? What should the look and feel for the website be?
7. What do you NOT want on your site in terms of text, content, colour and graphic elements?
8. Do you have a wish list of features? If so, please rank these features in order of priority. Calendar? Blog? Social networking? Gallery? Maps?
9. Who will be the contact person for this project?
10. How would you like to interact during the process of building the website? How much would you like me to communicate with you? And how will be collaborate creatively? 50/50, or will one side have complete creative control?
And just to end with some inspiration, here’s a few websites I like the look of:
Sources: (top left to bottom right 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Now, the next mandatory assignment. I actually have to build a simple HTML site, styled with CSS… Where to begin.
That’s all!
michelles blog 
Pingback: Website Wireframe « michelles blog