3c32 is dedicated to helping you through the often confusing process of design. Our theory is that a rigorous process greatly increases the quality of the product. Here's how we move from start to finish on a typical web project.
The Discovery
During this phase of any web related project, we spend time getting to know your organization and properly plan the future of your website — from strategy to structure. The time spent in this phase can have a direct impact on the success of your website.
1. Needs Analysis
Our first meeting will be dedicated to defining the goals and audience for your website. We will walk you through a series of questions in order to uncovering the answers leading to new questions. This is a chance for you, the experts (in your content), to help us understand how your organization currently functions and how you would like it to function in the future. Simply put, this is the time to come to a consensus on project objectives.
2. Brainstorming
Following our analysis, we will work to discover the objectives for the website, based on each projected audience type. This can be done through another group session, a survey, or series of interviews. Brainstorming is a time to uncover areas that need representation and decide how that information should be displayed on the website. We will also determine how the website is currently being used and how it can grow with your evolving needs. By the end of this phase, we should have a rough understanding of how to build an online experience for your audience that mirrors the values of your organization.
3. Sitemap
A sitemap is a document that outlines the proposed website content hierarchy, page by page. This document resembles a family tree, showing connections from one page to the next. The sitemap is a way to visually understand the website structure, including the different paths between related content areas.
4. User Scenarios
By developing scenarios relevant to your audience we are able to navigate through the website with a somewhat fresh viewpoint. Typically, this includes defining a person and their needs and then exploring the wireframe to see if those needs can be met quickly and efficiently. We ask: if George is visiting the site in hopes of finding A, how does he get there? Can he make it to his destination content in one click? Five clicks? Does he accidentally end up at B instead? These studies will be used in conjunction with the wireframe and compared to the results of the focus group.
5. Wireframe
With the sitemap in hand, we will begin putting the website into an interactive wireframe. This part of the process typically raises key questions regarding content placement and visibility. Different from the sitemap, the wireframe looks like a bare-bones website. By using simple lines, boxes and text, a wireframe allows us to truly experience the website without being distracted by design concerns and the wording of actual content, and envision the first impressions of a typical user.
6. Focus Groups
Depending on the level of feedback needed, we can set up a round of focus groups. During this time we will invite a diverse group to participate in an interactive exploration of the wireframe. This session will be lead by 3c32 to maintain objectivity, but will be recorded for later review. We will follow up the focus group with a document of results and a revised wireframe to mirror the suggested changes. Focus groups are also a great way to receive content suggestions from your audience. This feedback gives us extra insight into the all-important question: have we missed anything?
Design + Development
Design
This part of the process can happen along side of the wireframe. We begin the website design with the homepage. We will present 1–2 concepts which we review and note any feedback or changes. We will follow up with a second review to finalize the homepage design. Once the homepage is complete, we move on to the internal pages.
Development
Once we have the final design in hand, we will begin programming the website. This phase can last up to 45 days, but will be determined beforehand based on the size of your website.
Beta Launch
As we near completion of the project, we will send you information to view your new website on our development server. The beta phase is meant to locate any bugs or changes (within scope) that need to be made. We want to make sure the website is properly functioning the way you had envisioned before putting it in front of the public.
Going Live
Each project we undertake at 3c32 includes a one-year limited support commitment. This includes usage questions for the first 30 days after site launch, and fixing functionality bugs for up to one year. Cosmetic changes are always possible, but if requested after the completion of the design phase, may result in a change of scope.