Some thoughts I had about Homepage design:
The homepage should answer the question, "what's going on here?" to someone who has no knowledge about your organization or what you do. It should be clear who made the site and why it was made. And most importantly, it should be crystal clear how the website can benefit the user: it should answer the question, "how can I use this site for myself?"
One simple way to answer these questions in a personal, easily digestible fashion is to explain all of this in an introductory video. People like the simplicity of having things explained to them in a video.
Class notes - Project Analysis and Design - first meeting:
If you specialize, then you can gain a higher position in that area. If you do not master any one specific skill, then you are destined to perform low level tasks, which results in a lower wage.
For further reading:
- Seth Godin "The Purple Cow"
- Chris Anderson "Free"
- Chris Anderson "The Long Tail"
- Wired article "The Web is Dead"
Steps in the project life-cycle:
- Discovery - finding out what the client wants
- Requirements - ironing out what the client needs
- Flow charting - diagramming how the product will work
- Wireframes - illustrating the layout of each page
- Comps - creating the graphic design elements
Obviously there is more to it than this, but this is what I have down in my notes.
Meeting with the client:
The client has come to you because they cannot perform the job themselves that they want you to do. Because of this they do not have a clear understanding of what they actually need in the way of a final product or service. They know what their wants are; increased sales, higher profile, etc. But they are not in a position to understand exactly what needs to be built in order to accomplish their goals. They may, in fact, have some wrong-headed ideas about what kind of product or service you should create in order for them to meet their wants. They may, for instance, want a flaming logo because their more successful competitor has a flaming logo. They may be missing the point that it is actually their competitor's amazing customer service that is actually the missing ingredient.
Also, because the client is unskilled in your profession and they have come to you for help, it is in everyone's best interest that you make all the executive decisions on which direction the project should go yourself. For example, do not present the client with more than one comp and ask them to decide which one is best. The client is not prepared to make decisions on design; they have come to you for that very reason. Also, as per Murphy's Law, the client will always pick the weakest solution. Instead, present single facets of the project and get the client to sign off on those smaller bite-sized portions. As the project moves forward and the client then wants to alter something, you will have a signed agreement to fall back on. Make sure though, that you get decisions signed-off on by the individual who has the final say. It is a sticky situation when you believe you are heading down the right path only to have the later stages rejected by the person who is actually in charge.
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