This document presents a thumbnail sketch of what a web design process and collaboration would look like. The process can be quick and streamlined when everything is in order, but as you know, in the real world, that rarely happens!
On my end, I promise a professional approach to everything, which includes producing your website at maximum speed and with the highest possible quality.
TIMEFRAME FOR THE WHOLE WEBSITE DESIGN PROCESS
1/ The best case scenario (no delays, no glitches, perfect coordination) is two weeks. 2/ The worst case scenario is a month, with me pushing!
Phase 1 – Us
A fifteen-minute phone call for our initial discussion should do the trick. The creative process will develop and expand as we go, but our conversation will help set the tone and parameters of the project.
- In omnia respicere finem. What’s your purpose? I.e., What do you hope to accomplish with it? How will this website augment your mission to souls?
- Cui bono? Who are your primary and secondary audiences?
- Form and function. How do you really want it to look? What will be the best structure for your mission (a simple-one page site, or multiple pages, etc.)? Do you want an e-commerce store? Do you want sign-up forms?
Please consult the FAQ section on this website to answer any questions you might have going forward. You can text, call, or email me at any time with any questions or concerns you might have.
TIMEFRAME FOR PHASE 1:
Once we get a chance to talk, fifteen minutes.
Phase 2 – You
Then the ball is in your court for a brief moment.
- You send me a three to five links to websites you like. This will give me an idea of what overall “look” you want for your site and some of the functionality. Tell me what you like best about them so I have a better sense of your vision and style
- Send me a good amount of content, that is, materials that you would like to put up on the site (articles, photos links, sermons, videos, podcasts, etc.).
Again, what you send me at this stage is just a start because undoubtedly the content will be added, subtracted, updated, and/or modified throughout most of the process.
TIMEFRAME FOR PHASE 2:
That will be entirely dependent on how quickly you send me your links and content.
Phase 3 – Me
The ball is now in my court in two steps.
- Models: I will present you with two or three mockup ideas for the front page and any other pages for which you want to get a “visual” ahead of time. Nothing is set in stone, but most people like visual examples to get a good idea of whether the designs fit their vision and style or not.
- Creative: You tell me what seems to be your best design, and I begin the work of creating and designing the site.
TIMEFRAME FOR PHASE 3:
One week for my work, rarely longer than that.
Phase 4 – Us
This stage is all about collaboration / tweaking / sculpting / fine tuning.
We go back and forth and work on all the above elements to your ultimate satisfaction. It’s your site, and it needs to be well within your comfort zone.
It is the most subjective phase of the process where you “brand” the website with your own personality and get a feel for how it will best serve your mission.
TIMEFRAME FOR PHASE 4:
Flexible, depending on how well we communicate within the parameters of busy schedules. My goal is always “one week to tweak”.
Phase 5 – Feedback / Testing
Here’s where we work out the bugs.
Once you are settled on the overall design and functionality of the site, we will send the link to carefully chosen third parties for their evaluation and feedback. You should select people who will spend a bit of time to give you honest and intelligent feedback. I also have people who will offer third-party feedback, if needed.
We want first-sight reactions of people regarding content, style, and user-friendliness, and we’ll ask them to use the forms and feedback mechanisms of the website to verify that any technical bugs are worked out.
We will also ask them to look at the site on various screen sizes (desktop, laptop, tablet, phone.) This way we get feedback about how the design adjusts to different screens, and we can correct any obvious glitches before it goes fully public.
TIMEFRAME FOR PHASE 5:
Depends on how quickly your reviewers get back to you. It’s always best to set a parameter for them of one week.
Launch
At this point, the website is basically done. Then we launch. The site will already be live on the Internet, so you can feel free to disseminate the link to others, or you can do a formal launch.
This is the formal closure of the setup process, so I will send you the “Specifications” document for future reference.
Ongoing Maintenance
- Technical: I will manage the overall health of your website and make sure that it is functioning optimally and protected from viruses and cyberattacks at all times. In the rare event that something must be dealt with as an emergency, please text or call me.
- Creative: On your end, I’d ask you to look at the site regularly and let me know at any time if something looks out of place on any page or if you see a glitch anywhere or on any screen size. I’ll jump on that with a quick fix right away.
- Training: If you want to designate a co-worker or staff member to work with me on this process, I’ll be very happy to work with them and train them in the basics.
Best Modes of Communication
In our working relationship, there are many ways to communicate.
- Text messaging is best for quick communications and alerts.
- For sending any content such as files, images, documents, design changes, etc. email is always the best way to do that.
- When you see something wrong or out of place, please take a screenshot and send it to me via email or text. I will then see what you are seeing and will correct the problem immediately.
As noted, any longer discussions and emergencies are best handled by phone.
