“Where do we start”. Well, to be honest. At the beginning. All web sites come from an idea, a concept, a simple thought.

I start with getting to know my clients – that’s you. Once I understand them and understand what it is that they are trying to achieve, I can then recommend how we should proceed. But I can’t do that without understanding what it is they are trying to achieve, who their target audience is etc.

I, personally, can ‘see’ the site, in my head, as I am talking to my clients. Don’t ask me to describe how I can do that or why, because I really don’t know. However, you don’t have to have this ability to design your site. Simply know what it is that you are trying to achieve. Write it down. This is the description of the website. It doesn’t have to be pages and pages of information. Keep it concise. One Paragraph. It might sound irrelevant but it really does act as a focus.

Now you have what the site is going to do, you need to describe how you are going to achieve this.

I like to do a ‘storyboard’. This is a series of pages, one for each page on the site, describing the information that will be on each page. I do a main design page too (or a ‘template’ – this term will be discussed later as it is the foundation for each page of the site). This is the creative time. Imagine how you want each page to look. Do you want a common theme between each page. What sort of heading do you want for the page. Is there a logo. How big should it be, where should it be positioned. What should the site navigation look like, where do you want this navigation to appear (Navigation is the list that you click on to change between pages).

You need to decide what font to use on your site, what size text, what backgrounds to use. Do you want pictures on your site. If so where do you want to use them, how big do you want them etc. All these things are decided on at this stage, so should be in your ‘storyboard’.

But remember – Nothing is set in stone. This is only a concept.

At this stage, I also do a flowchart. This flowchart describes how each page will interract with the others. How each page will connect.

Remember, you need to keep each page relevant to the subject of that page.

So many web sites fail by not understanding these basic principals. If a web page is cluttered or disjointed then the site visitor will quickly become bored and will move on. You have lost them, and, to be honest, you have probably lost them for good.

Ease of readability is also another very important factor. Have you considered how others will view your site. Do they have colour blindness, sight problems etc. Is your colour mix easy to read. Is the font you use clear. What about the font size. Just because you cant read it does not mean everyone else can.

I will then take these two documents to my customer to discuss them, in detail. This time is time well spent as it makes the difference between a web site and a good web site. I like to feel that my clients are involved in all aspects of the design of their site. It is their site, not mine, so it has to meet their requirements, their preferences. They must be happy with it, or I have failed. So, in short, I need their feedback, good or bad.

This process may require more that one re-iteration of the storyboard. But in the end, the customer will be happy with what they are getting and I will have a very clear concept of how the product will look.

Now I have talked about me and my clients. You may well be saying, but I want this site for me, I dont have a client. Wrong! You do have a client. That client is You. So, you should still go through with this process. Design it, draw it and then review it. Make sure you are happy with what you have before you proceed. It’s a bit like building a house. Get the foundation wrong and your house will be worthless.

Missing this process is where so many web site builders go wrong.