The Cost Benefit of Web Site Preproduction

If you have ever purchased ready-to-assemble furniture, you probably fall into one of two camps: Those who follow the assembly instructions, or those who throw the instructions aside, grab the hex-tool and dive in. With something like a $350 bookshelf from Ikea, ignoring the instructions may only result in a mild headache and a rickety result.

With Web development, however, the repercussions are much larger if you don't follow instructions closely Failure to write and follow proper Web development schema will result in a lesser quality Web site at a higher price. So, before you start coding that amazing social networking site or jewelry eCommerce solution, it's best to perform a production analysis to codify your entire process beforehand. Here at imagistic, not a single Web site of the many we deliver go into design or development without proper production documentation.

As a freebie, we would like to share some pointers to get your Web site built correctly, on schedule, and with a minimum amount of labor.

First Step: Discovering Your Inner Web Site

Like many businesses, you probably have a partner, boss, or other interested stakeholder(s) who have a vested interest in building your site. The trouble is, everybody's vision has its own particular lens; therefore, simple verbal brainstorming and notes scribbled on yellow pads will not be enough to see you through.

All great Web sites start with discovery, rounds of meeting discussions, and detailed notes describing exactly how you and your team envision your site. If you're contracting a vendor, make sure they carry out their responsibility to schedule meetings, take detailed notes, and write all final documents. The goal is to freely discuss the envisioned feature-set and create documents that can communicate the product to non-stakeholders.

At the end of discovery, it's a good idea to get everyone to sign the final draft. It is imperative that all parties are on the same page.

Step 2: Devise a Scope Document

From the Discovery document, technical features are pulled out and explained in what's called a Scope Document. It should detail the physical work that is required. For example, in a Discovery document there may be information pertaining to content tone, intended audience, search, Web forms, etc. In the Scope Document, only physical Web features are explained, e.g., site search, registration forms with three required questions, newsletter sign up, login screen, etc. The Scope Document distills the 500-foot engineering process down to the 30-foot discovery process.

Learn Steps 3-2 in Part 2 of this article.