The Web Development Process
Published on Thursday, 10 August 2006.
Without doubt, taking a website from zero to a successful one is yet another adventure in the experience catalog of a web developer. The key for failure or success lies in the beginning of the project. The plan created to build a website, whether a redesign or from scratch, and the actions you take to implement it, are known as the web development process (from now on WDP).
In turn, an excellent WDP is the combination of common sense and accurate creativity. Developing for the web is not rocket science, however, visionary creativity will be always in high demand. Web development has technical aspects: either 0 or 1 (using a database or xml), and subjective like: information architecture, graphic design, usability, and a big ETC.!
I want to mess with it. ^_^
Allright, after a moderated research about the WDP on the internet:
- happycog's project planner (2005).
- gotomedia resources Specially Web Design Workflow. (2000)
- The Problem, the Balloon, and the Four Bedroom House (2004)
- Process, Methodology, Life Cycle, Oh My! (2001)
- Design process (?)
- Web Site Development Process - The life-cycle steps
If you graph the numbers of any system, patterns emerge.
An approach to understanding the WDP could be stating the different stages of it, and the activities or disciplines that are prominent at each phase. But why just repeat the information gathered if we can go throught it with a real example, especially with not a stupid example, but a trascendental, life challenging, impressive project?
Zero: First contact
A client contacts you for a project. How to make that happen? Well, after developing a bunch of sites using an impeccable WDP, let's just say: cilents will come naturally.
First: Understand
Second: Make a proposal official
Third: Implement
Fin
Summarizing: a WDP is like any process if we take this basic consideration: set a goal, decide how/when you are going to accomplish it, and make it happen. Essentially, setting up objectives and then have a control mechanism to assess if they have been realized, is the way to measure progress. Progress is synonym of success, and success is good for your health.