how you start a new website

unwashed potato! · 7 Nov 2006 at 23:45

just wondering what the steps you take and things you do when starting/planning a new website? im looking at ideas from templtaes n how to do the newest ones but i see something then i don't get much further.

Also wondering what habits people have for when they are building, can;t tihnk of any good examples, anything you alwyas do, like always use the same names for divs etc.

TerraS · 8 Nov 2006 at 01:35

Well in the CSS, always add this line for one.

img { border: 0; }

gord · 8 Nov 2006 at 01:37

Feasability Study
Requirements Elicitation
Design
Testing
Implementation
Maintenance

Just for the design i do have a set template and stylesheet that i modify heavily for each site i design.

Mr^B · 8 Nov 2006 at 04:18

Scope, scope and scope.

Scope creep is your enemy. A signed copy of a scope document is your friend.

I never use standard templates or css files - I used to, but found all my websites ended up looking the same (or at least looking like they were all designed by the same person).

I used to have a standard set on .inc files for common functions (mailing, error handling, image manipulation etc.) until .Net came along and now everything sits in the GAC (for servers I have full access to) or in App_Code/Common (for servers I don't).

The design will start off as a flat image in photoshop, which will end up being chopped/spliced together.

I always try and "skin" a site as much as possible, so that changing the sites dominant colour(s) is relatively straight-forward (for re-branding ease - a common requirement for corporate sites).

markeh · 8 Nov 2006 at 07:56

Depends if it's commercial or not. If it is then I usually start with customer meeting, then some design ideas then another spec meeting where everything is signed off then final design which is agreed and then cut to pieces and turned into a webpage.

For a personal site it's an idea I have that I play with in photoshop over a few days then usually change half-way through

D4VE · 8 Nov 2006 at 09:16

You got to start OFF the computer. Think about colours and look and do some thumbnail sketches of possible layout designs etc

gord · 8 Nov 2006 at 09:32

D4VE said:
You got to start OFF the computer. Think about colours and look and do some thumbnail sketches of possible layout designs etc

Or use photoshop for that.. saves on paper but youve gotta be good with the shop to churn out design ideas fast enough.

riddlermarc · 8 Nov 2006 at 10:03

Assuming I already have a scope, relevant tsd etc..

I always find the best way is to stick some music on, make a cup of tea and sit down with a pad and some paper.. if you get in the right "zone" you can be far more creative/imaginative than if you're rushing or stressed.

Pen and paper is for rough sketches, required pages, scratch outline of database tables and their relationships etc.

Then I sometimes move on to PS and rough it out in layers so I can move bits around, change colour schemes and get rough ideas for sizes.

After that it's down to the nitty gritty and coding away..

D4VE · 8 Nov 2006 at 10:23

gord said:
Or use photoshop for that.. saves on paper but youve gotta be good with the shop to churn out design ideas fast enough.

Yeah sometimes I do both, paper -> Photoshop -> then the CSS/XHTML

MagSafe · 8 Nov 2006 at 14:10

I always look around for inspiration before starting a website, if someone wants something that is to be professional and possibility linked to higher authorities i'll around for those kind of websites, check out what the latest technologies, styling and standards are and start taking some notes.

After a while I can usually visualise the website I want to design, template and styling wise, then i'll load up photoshop and start creating it.

After getting an approval from my boss or whoever i'm designing the website for i'll start coding it from scratch, but usually always go by the same div and file names as it makes things easier in the long run. I would never use the same stylesheet over and over though, everytime you design a website it should look fresher and better than the last one you made.

I'm still learning all the in's and out's of content management systems but i'm guessing after a while i'll use the same sort of login environment but perfect it over the years whilst integrating better security, usability and technologies.