Gather/Develop Content
Content can be drawn from existing printed materials or developed from scratch. If using existing materials rewrite, if needed, in order to repurpose for the web. During this stage you should be thinking about what you want to accomplish with the website. Content should fit with website goals and will vary depending on if it is an individual or departmental site.
Basic items to include in a Fitchburg State College website:
- personal or departmental name
- office/department location
- phone/fax
- email
- identification of Fitchburg State College*
- link to FSC home page (http://www.fsc.edu)
- link to departmental home page (if an individual's site)
*NOTE: The college name should be clearly spelled out (not just FSC because that could mean many things).
To get the creative juices flowing, check Suggestions for Website Content.
Organize/Categorize Content
Develop categories for the content you have amassed. These categories can be used for website navigation. Putting five or six links of clustered information on a site's main page is less overwhelming than a list of 25 links to various pages. It is important to categorize the content with the user in mind. Think about how your target audience would search for information. It is useful to include these navigation links throughout your website to keep visitors from having to do a lot of backtracking.
Research the Web
Once you have done your own brainstorming, take a look at how colleagues (both on and off campus) have used the web. You will likely wind up adding information and possibly rethinking your navigation links. Research is something we tend to do on a regular basis as we surf the web and see what we like or don't like. At this point in the web development process it is a good idea to make a deliberate effort to look at what's out there that 'works' and what doesn't.
Site Structure
Using a flowchart method, map out the structure of your website. Start with your main page and work your way down through the different levels of sub-pages. This will solidify the structure of the site and help you identify areas that might be a bit thin or thick in terms of content. It also serves as a useful reference during the building process.
Page Design
If you will be using a pre-designed template (see "FSC Style Guidelines") this part of the process may not be too involved. Some of the page design steps may not be necessary. Use a storyboard technique to sketch out a 'mock-up' of the pages in your site. Oftentimes simplicity is the best design choice. The pages should have a consistent 'look and feel'. Design a single page to be used as a template throughout the site.
If needed, variations of this template can be made to accomodate the different needs of your content. Consistent graphical items, color and typefaces can help tie together the various pages of the site.
Start Building!
Using a web editor and graphics program (if needed), start building your web pages. Begin by building site templates and then add the content you have gathered. Be sure to include consistent navigation links throughout the website.
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