Web Publishing Basics
Planning and Design Questions
If you have given careful consideration to the steps outlined in Developing a Web Site, you should be able to answer the following questions. The answers to these questions will assist the Web developer with their task.
Planning
What is the general purpose of this site?
Who is this site's target audience? (Check those that apply and then rank numerically--items may have equal emphasis.) This helps determine content focus and likely Web browser limitations. For instance, if your audience is made up of home users, they may have slow-speed connections and so you will need to provide fast-loading pages.
___ Faculty
___ Staff
___ Parents
___ Alumni
___ Other _______
___ Prospective Faculty/Staff
___ Colleagues
___ Donors
___ International Audience
Which of the adjectives below describe the look you want for your Web site? This helps determine graphical and technical needs.
Professional Yes / No)
Colorful (Yes / No)
Dignified (Yes / No)
Playful (Yes / No)
Graphical (Yes / No)
Other ____________
Lively (Yes / No)
Student Oriented (Yes / No)
Conservative (Yes / No)
High-tech (Yes / No)
Photo-graphical (Yes / No)
Describe the documents you want to be displayed in this site. Attach a separate page for longer lists. (Provide printed and electronic copies to the developer.)
| Document/Form Name | Input Format | Output format |
|---|---|---|
| (i.e., registration form) | (i.e., Word document) | (i.e., Web form) |
Design
List, categorize and prioritize the information you want included in your Web site. From that list, what are the first level categories, in priority order? (For example: Services, Policies, Staff, Events, Publications or Courses, Faculty, Clubs, Scholarships, Resources.) If you have more than 8, you should probably combine categories. Attach the complete category list, with all subcategories charted.
1. __________________________ 5. _______________________ 2. __________________________ 6. _______________________ 3. __________________________ 7. _______________________ 4. __________________________ 8. _______________________
Do you want to solicit comments and questions from the Web site? If so, do you want them to go to an individual, departmental or office email address? Please provide.
If you don't want the default color scheme for links, visited links and active links, please list your color preferences for each.
While a white background is generally accepted as the most favored for readability, do you wish to use a colored or graphical background? If so, please describe.
Are there any icons or other graphics generally associated with your department or office that you wish to use in the site?
What is your expected completion date?
