Tips For Planning A Website

Ben Franklin once said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." This is true in most aspects of life, but when it comes to design, it's the one truth to rule them all. When designing a web page, if you don't take the time to prepare first, your design will almost always come out faulty. To avoid a faulty design, grab a pencil and paper and do a few things before you begin typing in your HTML.

First, you should write down the purpose of the website and the intended audience. I prefer to do this on a sticky pad so that I can keep it in front of me for the rest of the planning process. This is the part of the plan that will act as your compass and keep you on course for your destination. Designing a children's learning website would be very different from designing a video game website. Second, draw a few sketches of what your site should look like when you're all through. They don't have to be horribly detailed, but include major portions of the website. Again, these major items could be represented by text in a rectangle, so detail isn't horribly important, but the layout is. Keep in mind the purpose and audience from the first step, and develop a layout that fits both.

Planning a page layout will give you a framework for when you go to type in your HTML code. Third, develop a set of use cases for your website. Picture yourself as a user of the website, what would you go there to do? How will you accomplish this task? Is this task doable by my audience? Write all of this stuff down. You can make a diagram or write a paragraph, it doesn't matter. Knowing what people are going to try to do on your website will help you design the file architecture and navigation section of your site, and make it easily accessible. Finally, run through everything you have and make sure it is aligned with your purpose and audience.

Make sure it all makes logical sense, and that it can be done. Make sure you've covered every aspect of the website so that when you begin the implementation, you can focus on just the HTML required to make it work, not how it should work and why. Following these simple steps before you begin developing a website, will save you a lot of time and frustration in the long run. Not only will it give you a clearer view of what to make when you begin typing, but will also ensure that you create a better, more focused product.