Using a web design process is essential to managing a project and outlining goals. It simplifies project management, makes objectives clearer, and facilitates increased productivity.[i]
The professional design process encompasses 6 major stages with related roles and skill sets. 1) Planning (includes Site Definition and Information Gathering), 2) Design (includes Information Architecture and Site Design), 3) Development (includes Site Construction), 4) Launch, (includes Site Marketing and Testing), 5) Delivery or Deployment, 6) Post-Launch which includes Tracking, Evaluation, Maintenance and a post-mortem to assess the success of the process and what to improve for future processes.
Research is a crucial first step in the Design Strategy process. Research is used to completely understand the client and their problem. Research is the foundation for synthesizing the findings and developing optimal design strategies to solving the client’s business problem.[ii]
The design process can be defined as a recursive function, where it calls itself. A large problem is broken up into smaller and smaller pieces until it can be solved and the results combined using the process of: discover -> define -> design -> develop -> deploy.[iii]
Of the following core skill sets needed in a web site development team[iv], the core skills that I have now are strategy & planning, Project Management, web technology and site production. The core skills that I am looking to know more about are information architecture, user interface design and graphic design for the web:
- Strategy and planning
- Project management
- Information architecture and user interface design
- Graphic design for the web
- Web technology
- Site production
I am currently working in a Web project manager role and as a site production lead. In understanding the areas where I have a limited skill set, I am able to subcontract out the work to someone that has the related expertise.
[i] Skaaren, Cory Michael (2013) The Creative Process – How to Love the Business of Design. Retrieved from http://www.skaaren.com/the-creative-process
[ii] Seltzer Rochelle (2013) Go Deep to Drive Strategy. Retrieved from http://www.howdesign.com/parse/go-deep-to-drive-strategy/
[iii] Chung,Jack and Evenson, Shelley and Pangaro, Paul (2009) A Model of The Creative Process. Retrieved from http://www.dubberly.com/concept-maps/creative-process.html
[iv] Lynch, Patrick J. and Horton, Sarah (2011) The Site Development Team. Retrieved from http://webstyleguide.com/wsg3/1-process/2-development-team.html