.: steve holland > how i work :.

Experience

Experience is a powerful teacher. Since 1994, when I built my first web sites, until today, my experience has shown the incredible value of a comprehensive and flexible approach to web strategy, design, and development. The process I have developed - in essence HOW I create web projects - is based upon personal successes and failures combined with extensive case study research. This process shows the value of thinking before designing and designing before building. While the time frame allocated to each phase is adjusted according to the project - failure to follow the process often times result in missed deadlines and blown budgets.

The Role of Design

Web Design is about creating solutions to client needs. Whether it is building brand awareness, increasing online sales, providing support, or developing a community, web design is about solving these client needs. In order to develop a meaningful solution, several things must occur first. The client must clearly express their needs. Designers need to be focused upon the creation of an experience that results in a solution. Developers must understand the parameters of design solution so they can develop an appropriate technology solution. Fundamentally it is about clarity of focus and excellent delivery.

How

At a high level, the process I have developed involves two components, the first is strategic and the other is tactical. Strategically, it involves determining the appropriate components of the Think > Design > Build process. Tactically, the appropriate actions steps of Architecture + Content + Design + Technology are determined.

Think > Design > Build

No matter the project, I strive to understand the client's strategy first — I think before I act. With a good understand of the goals, the audience, and other strategic elements, I begin to concept the design solution — I design before I build. Once a good design concept is ready, it will actually begin building it. There is overlap in these high level phases — but all three are required for success. Jumping phases or skipping them all together will result in missed deadlines, cost overruns, and lost clients.

Architecture + Content + Design + Technology

With a good understanding of the high level concepts, I will develop a detailed project plan in which the site Information Architecture (IA), Content, Design, and Technology elements are developed.

Architecture
The IA is always developed first for it drives the entire experience. How can a visual design be effectively done when something as simple as the number of buttons on a page is not known? Failure to do IA first results in the "oops we need to add a button here" or "were forgot about this entire site section" or worse yet "How do we get to there from here?" IA is critical to the success of a web project - I do it first and do it correctly.

Content
With the site architecture defined, I begin working with the content - determining how it will be displayed - typically through the use of wire frames. These wire frames often grow into style writing guides and visual style guides.
Once these guides are completed, the content writers can begin producing written content and the technology team can begin developing Content Management templates. Experience has taught me that IA and Content need to be defined prior to designing. Otherwise, the design may be flawed. It may not account for required written copy, images, navigational requirements, and Content Management needs.

Design
The next step is where most Clients want to start. Understandably, they want to SEE something. They want you to produce designs - now. Communication, early and often, with the client is critical in order to set expectations and reduce this pressure. I have found that when the client is involved with the IA and Content stages at a tactical level they support the visual design far quicker and to a much greater extent. Inevitably, the client's eyes light up with joy when they see the first design comps based upon their input on the IA and Content sections. The inevitable questions such as "Why is this here?" or "Why is it called MyHome instead of Home?" or "Why did you use this font?" or the infinite number of other client concerns evaporate when they understand what drove the design. Lastly, a client that has been provided an opportunity to participate will become your greatest supporter.
I have developed several tools that focus the client and produce real direction for the design team. These tools are critical to success for clients need a way to express themselves to designers. I believe clients are smart - they are smart about their business and what they want to achieve. These tools grew out of a need to assist clients in expressing what they are seeking in a site and the visual / experience design. For example, the Digital Tone Board gives clients an interactive tool to narrow down the type of site they are interested in. This tool greatly reduces what I call the "Amazon.com" effect, whereby any e-commerce site should be exactly like Amazon.com. While Amazon does an amazing job, their approach is not appropriate for all clients.

Technology
With the IA, Content, and Design processes either completed or well on there way, it is appropriate to begin client side technology development. This is the point where everything begins to come together - quickly. The IA drives the directory structure, the design and content flow into the wire frames. The wire frames then are converted into HTML templates for Content Management or static content display purposes.

Disclaimer

Under no circumstances am I declaring that the process described above is the one process - hardily. My process is organic by design, it is intended to grow and develop after each project. It is by no means static or a magic bullet.