| We follow the
following six phased methodology of development.
Planning
The process of choosing among
competing opportunities for communication so that
overall goals for the web can be set. These goals
include anticipating and deciding on targets for
the audience, purpose, and objectives for the
information. Planning also is done for domain
information through a process of defining and
specifying the supporting information that must
be collected, how it will be collected, and how
the information will be updated. A web planner
anticipates the skills called for by the web specification
as well as the skills needed for constructing
particular parts of a web. If a specification
for a design calls for using a forms interface
(a feature supported by HTML), for example, the
web planner must identify the need for web implementers
to have these skills. The web planner also anticipates
other resources needed to support the operation
and development of the web. If user access statistics
will be gathered, for example, the plan for the
web must account for the need to procure and install
a web statistics program.
TOP
Analysis
A process of gathering and comparing
information about the web and its operation in
order to improve the web's overall quality. An
important operation is one in which a web analyst
examines information gathered about the audience
for its relevance to some other elements or processes
in web development. Information about the audience's
level of technical interest can have a great deal
of impact on what information should be provided
to a user about a particular product or topic,
for example. Similarly, analyzing the web's purpose
in light of other new developments, such as the
contents of a competitor's web, must be an ongoing
process. An analyst weighs alternatives and gathers
information to help with a decision in the other
processes of planning, design, implementation,
or development.
TOP
Design
The process by which a web designer,
working within the web's specification, makes
decisions about how a web's actual components
should be constructed. This process involves taking
into account the web's purpose, audience, objective,
and domain information. A good designer knows
how to achieve the effects called for by the specification
in the most flexible, efficient, and elegant way.
Because it relies so heavily on the other processes
and elements in web development, however, the
design process is not more important than any
of the others, but it requires a thorough grounding
in implementation possibilities as well as knowledge
about how particular web structures affect an
audience.
TOP
Implementation
The process of actually building
the web using HyperText Markup Language (HTML
or improvements on it). The implementation process
is perhaps most like software development because
it involves using a specific syntax for encoding
web structures in a formal language in computer
files. Although automated tools are available
to help with the construction of HTML documents,
a thorough grounding in HTML as well as an awareness
of how designs can best be implemented in HTML
enriches the web implementers expertise.
TOP
Promotion
The process of handling all the
public-relations issues of a web. These include
making the existence of a web known to on-line
communities through publicity, as well as forming
business or other information relationships with
other webs. Promotion might involve using specific
marketing strategies or creating business models.
TOP
Innovation
The process of making sure that
the other development processes continue and improve.
This includes monitoring technologies for new
innovations that might be appropriate for the
web, as well as finding creative or unique ways
to improve the elements of the web or engage the
web's audience in its success. Innovation also
involves seeking to continuously improve the usability
and quality of the web and exceed user expectations.
Although the methodology outlined
here for developing a website won't work flawlessly
in all situations, it can serve as a basis for
looking at many issues of web development. The
actual processes and elements used in web development
for any particular project might be a variation
on these. Being aware of what elements and processes
can be involved in web development is key; developers,
once aware of what they might face, can most flexibly
grow successful webs.
TOP
|
