Sites by Dezine - Tips and Tools

	I've heard new web site owners say:
	"I have some ideas for my web site, but I'm not an artist, and don't know how to begin."
	Sound familiar? Well, here's a useful "3 Step" process that will help clarify and "pin down" your own good ideas. This is a practical approach that can turn vague ideas into the basic structure of your web site. I think it is a great way to begin any project. You need a pencil and some sheets of paper or index cards. This small tutor below will begin with asking some basic questions, and then writing the answers down. In the second part, we take each subject from our first list and expand it, but this time each topic or subject will be described on its own separate sheet. Finally, we will use these topic sheets and map out our web site right on the desk or table at home.
	1. From my experience, asking the questions below is just a necessary first step to any web site. A: The initial question should always be, "What is this web site for?" This is a most important question because the answer will set your priorities. It's a good idea to write those down; then decide which is the most important, which is next, and so forth. This web site is for . . . and . . . I also want to present . . . B: What kind of information would you like your visitors to see right away? What is unique or different about what you're presenting? What information would make your site interesting? Write all those ideas down. First thing, I'd like my visitors to see . . . And this is really unique - special . . . And this idea is also interesting . . . C: What topics should be included in your web site? Are they related to each other? Name those relationships! Now you can begin to see the specific elements of information you want to present to your web audience. If you are a business, you'll probably want to include details of your services, pricing, sizes, shipping: Pictures could be some of those elements. How detailed do you see the descriptions? These may take some extra thought. Remembering your priorities will help make these decisions: Deciding what is most important, and what is unnecessary. Now you should have a much better idea of what your web site will include. A good way to begin to clarify these ideas is by making a clean new list, with a short description of each subject you prioritized above. But try to keep this "more organized" list simple and basic. Although, you can include related ideas as subheadings. This list should be about your main topics or subjects. This list will look more like a simple index page---or perhaps a numbered list. 2. Now you're ready to gather information. This step now expands each topic that you decided on above. Each subject on your list will get it's own separate sheet of paper and then a fair textual description of each topic. This is a good exercise for you, as it becomes clear what you really want to present. Once your topic pages are complete, you can indicate picture(s) you want to use on each page, if any, and since your on a roll here, you might as well write down any special ideas you want your web designer to create for that page. If you're including information from your advertising or brochures, circle that information, and clip those to the corresponding topic. Some topics may be short, and perhaps relate to other topics in a way that a number of them can be placed on the same page. Sometimes, it's easier for visitors to read about two or three related subjects on one page. Make a note of those relationships while they're fresh in your mind.
	3. Now you can visually create your web site at your desk. Your can actually work with the sheets of paper you've created, or you can create a small map of your site on one piece of paper. It's easy. It's made up of small boxes---similar to the Windows "folder" view which you are probably familiar. Draw one small box on the top of your page. This will be your "front page" or "home page" and contains the information your visitors will see first. Remember that links to other pages on your site usually flow from this first page. The pages that are linked to your front page can now be indicated with new boxes connected with an arrow from the top folder. Now you can lay out your topic pages and begin to see how these can be linked together---again using arrows for links. The objective is to create a smooth, easy to navigate web site. From your Home page, to your 2nd level pages, you may want your visitors to be able to click into "third" level pages below those. And perhaps, even into a 4th level. This is the time to think about how the visitor can best find your site's information. This can be done on paper first and it should be done this way, either by you, or by me. Of course, if you can lay out at least a rough diagram, I can better see how you envision your site. I get a better "blueprint," if you will, of what you're thinking about. That's it! Your work is done. Now it's time to put it all together in HTML. Obviously, designing a web site requires some thoughtful advance planning. However, remember that you don't really have to do all of this by yourself. Once each subject is fully rounded out, this information can also be the basis for my work: I can then create each page, type in your text, lay out the navigation elements around your site, choose a color scheme, create the graphics, and lay in rest of my work. Once this work is fairly well complete, I'll put up a "draft" site on the internet for you to see. Now you'll be able to look at the basic design, color scheme, see how the pages relate to each other, and how the navigation works through the various pages and levels. You'll be able to actually click thru it and then decide on any changes. It's easier to add new pages and change navigation elements while it's still in this draft form---before the final site is on the web. Normally, we will both contribute to its design and basic structure as the site evolves. I just think it's a good idea for new web site owners to know in advance what their web site designer actually does with her time. : ) This alone can greatly help communication. In any case, I enjoy this work very much. If you don't have time, or simply don't have any ideas for your site, I'll be happy to design and put together these elements for you. And either way, building a new web site with you will be very interesting. Gloria