Building Web Sites

The activities involved in constructing effective web sites. For simple web sites there are sufficient "easy to use" tools to enable their rapid construction. However there are a number of situations where a more systematic approach is needed:

When the site interacts in complex ways
When the site's builders are unfamiliar with the domain the site serves

In these cases we have to take a more considered approach to building the site. Every web site can be thought of as a combination of behaviour and content.

Building Web Sites

Here is a diagram that shows the main activities that should be considered when constructing anything other than the simplest of web sites. Each element builds on the elements below, so the project should start with a clear definition of the site owner's business case. That defines what the site owner needs it to do and from that the user's needs can be documented.

Information architecture is a key element in defining the site's content, however it should also (via the "Information Design") influence the dynamic behaviour.

Links to this page

The following pages link to here: Information Architecture, Uses for IA, Web