Web design process

[Derleek]

I'm looking to stream-line my web development.

 

After about six months of getting my web-design company up and running with my friend.  He has decided to back out and do some other things.  I noticed that we were to say the least un-efficient. 

 

So i'm curious if you guru's out there have some kind of formula or guide or process that you stick to.

 

Here is what I imagine would be a good structure:

 

1)conceptual stage:

What we have been doing is going to a customer, saying "hey, what do you want out of your website?" after they realise they don't know what they want... we guide them.

 

2)design stage:

Design their site. Duh  . this includes any revisions or what have you.

 

3)plug-ins:

Plug in any features they want (e-mailing systems, content management... etc).

 

4)Finalization:

Go over the tiny details and what not. (font and little junk like that).

 

I mean this is all good in theory but certain, mainly customer related, problems seem to slow us down a lot.

 

how the F*#$ do you guys get your customer's to pick a damned font style... hahhaha

[proggR]

Lol well I don't really follow one most times which is kinda bad I guess but its probably pretty close.

 

1 - think of idea, what the site will do, why I'm going to be spending money to have it hosted

2 - think of how I want it to function, will there be input, is it more for information, plan ahead what kinds of scripts I'll need to write

3 - plan the design, make a mock in paint, make a blueprint of the divs in paint with id's and values for sizes

4 - code the CSS and HTML to replicate what I made in paint, make sure mouseovers and what not work

5 - script for updates, create way to keep up to date without hand coding the html every time, organize folder hierarchy

6 - (this is the point I'm at with my current site) fine tune, add features, optimize the code, get validated

7 - submit for testing on here, both beta test and layout critique (could be done earlier too to save back tracking)

8 - fine tune again

9 - release online

 

If you're using dreamweaver and stuff like that you could do 3 and 4 at the same time

 

*edit* a lot of the planning tends to be sketches or notes either in paint or on paper for me too since I plan the concepts at work and the coding at home. keeping a pen and paper with you tends to help keep you on track.

[tibberous]

1) Draw a picture of your completed website, minus non-interesting things like forms

 

2) Copy over the authentication I use on every single site I do

 

3) Create the directory structure

 

4) Figure out how much a designer will cost. Add %25, get my boss to hire one at that price.

 

5) Cut the layout

 

6) Mark it up

 

7) Make the pages

 

Make the actions

 

9) Make weird stuff as needed (flash connectors, gateways, 404 pages, ect)

[tibberous]

Also, and this is bad to say but true - the faster you get back to them with changes the more the'll make. If it takes them 3 weeks to go from helvetic to verdana, they probably won't ask to see tahoma