The redesign of a website is a prime opportunity to make important changes to content, navigation, and functionality. It’s also a good time to step back and analyze the business objectives of the site and overall internet efforts, as well as to develop a long-term plan for getting the most from this communication channel.

One thing is evident: Excellent sites have great design and navigation. An organization that puts effort into developing a site that makes it is easy to find information also understands the importance of providing solid content and functionality. (more…)

In my last post, I detailed the first four essential elements of the design process for interactive projects. Below, the second installment…

Non-Functional Comps
One of the most exciting aspects of building a website for a client is delivering initial comps. Non-functional comps are Photoshop options for the proposed page designs based on established written concept direction and thumbnails. When they’re first presented, the hope is that the comps match the client’s expectations, given the amount of time spent on the front end of the project understanding their business, needs and target audience. The purpose of the comp at this stage is to provide our clients with a visual representation of how the site will look before we ever start coding or programming. The interactive art director is responsible for coming up with several competing designs for each of the comps. (more…)

As design teams become more multidisciplinary in composition, it becomes important to understand the nature of the early phases of design, and develop successful strategies for directing productivity towards strategic design goals. During this phase, the interactive art director develops multiple, audience-specific interfaces and navigation schemes for the Web site. These prototypes typically consist of non-interactive mockups, interactive mockups, and storyboarded animation. The goal is to agree on a basic design of the site, including general look and feel, colors, images, logos, layout, and navigation. When time and budget allow, the interactive art director will test chosen designs with actual members of target audiences to determine their usability and effectiveness. Over the next two posts I’ll detail the deliverables that are essential for the successful design of an interactive site. (more…)

Interactive development process Guide

In my experience as an interactive art director at a strategic marketing firm, I’ve found that the best client relationships are open and collaborative, enabling a productive exchange of ideas and fostering a common pursuit of a singular goal. I have also found that creating visualization charts of my interactive development process has been a good exercise. For all the organizational benefits of having a well-defined process, it can also be viewed as a flexible framework. While I use it as the foundation of all my projects, I realize that it can always be adjusted to fit the situation.

To help my clients understand the steps I take in developing a website or Flash presentation, I have designed a communication tool to help them visualize each phase of a project. I created the “Interactive Development Process” diagram to help distill the complex projects into their essential and optional components. Below is a detailed description of each phase of the process… (more…)