Workflow

This page provides an overview of the standard Page Affairs web design workflow.

Stage 1: Information Architecture

This initial stage of design determines the overall site architecture (or the arrangement of content), including such considerations as:

  • content types, categories and relationships
  • sitemap
  • wireframes (the basic layout of each template).

Optional extras include consideration of both mobile and print layouts.

Stage 2: Visual design

This stage involves the visual design, the page-by-page look and feel of the site, which includes:

  • color schemes
  • font families, sizes etc.
  • decorations, backgrounds images etc.

Normally, up to two design revisions are included within the quoted price.

Stage 3: Site Coding

This stage involves the actual hand-coding of the site, which means that the designs and site architecture are coded in the languages understood by browsers and servers—including HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP. In particular, this involves:

  • converting page designs into coded web templates
  • building of menus, contact forms, special effects
  • image preparation

… and possibly also other optional features, including:

  • dropdown menus
  • dynamic features such as rollovers, galleries, carousels
  • mobile and print style sheets.

As a side note, the term ‘hand coding’ means that the code is typed by hand—character by character—rather than auto-generated (usually badly!) by design software.

Stage 4: Content Management System (CMS) Construction

If a CMS is being included in the site, this is when various features are implemented, such as:

  • sections, categories, templates, feeds etc.
  • plugins, modules and extensions.

The time required for this depends on the kind of system being used. Page Affairs mainly uses Perch (for simple sites) and ExpressionEngine (for more powerful site management needs).

Stage 5: Content Editing and/or Management

This is also an optional stage, which can include:

  • feeding content into the CMS
  • editing the site content for accuracy, expression, punctuation etc.

Content editing is entirely optional (and is charged on an hourly rate), and content management is option on sites equipped with a CMS.

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