There are many factors in a quality Web
site Design, development, creativity, writing, color
balance, and organization are all contributors, but careful
planning is what makes or breaks the website. Lack of
planning usually results in unorganized material and
plenty of problems along the way.
Information Architecture is the practice
of designing the infrastructure of a Website, specifically
the navigation.
The title 'Information Architect' has
quickly come out of obscurity and become a necessity
in the art of website design & web development. While
one can go to school to obtain this title, the job can
be performed reasonably well by following a certain amount
of logic.
Professional web designers will benefit
from information architecture by being able to produce
accurate quotes and preventing web project overrun. Many
designers find that projects last far longer than originally
projected. This is a nightmare the careful planner can
easily avoid.
We are firm believers that one should
go through plenty scraps of paper, if not a whole notepad,
before the first keystroke or mouse click. We have built
plenty of Websites and have learned each time that the
more planning, the smoother the project can be. Whether
you need to develop a high-budget, corporate identity
on the web, a content-driven site, or a personal page
in your spare time you should benefit from a few simple
steps.
Before we begin it's important for me
to stress that your client/supervisor should be in the
loop for every phase. If possible, have them sign off
on the structure as you go. This way you not only have
the satisfaction of getting the "green light",
but you also avoid the project being changed or prolonged
at your expense.
Define Your Goals
Every Website has a purpose, a motive,
a driving factor that prompted the need to put it on
the Internet. If you can find out what you, the architect,
desire to achieve, you've fought half the battle. This
phase will serve as the catalyst for the entire project.
These goals should be considered during every decision
throughout the process.
Make a list of what you would like your
visitors to take with them when they leave your website.
If you are preparing an informative content Website you
would want the visitor to leave knowing the information
you conveyed. You might also want them to enjoy themselves
while they are there. Subscribing to a newsletter or
registering for a membership might also be nice. These
are your goals. If you list these appropriately and reflect
on them during the rest of the process, the odds of success
are much higher.
