How to communicate with web designers

When you have a website that needs to be built and designed, you will most likely hire a web designer to do it for you. The only way the designer will know what you want is by meeting with you to discuss your goals and expectations - and if you are able to properly communicate with him or her. Therefore, it is important to have a basic idea about how the process works before you get started so you will be able to effectively communicate your needs in a short period of time.

First, you should think about the goal of the site and what information you want to put on it. Generally, one of the first steps of any website project is to gather content since the information you present will affect the design. Make sure you have at least a general idea of what pages you'll have - it might help to have some of the page content written and some of the pictures you want to include gathered. Make sure you understand what you want done before meeting with a designer.

Before your meeting, you should also give some thought to design elements you've seen that you like. For example, you might like the navigation bar on Apple's web site. Find web sites that have some of the elements that are similar to what you're looking for and make a list of them. Be sure to label what you liked about them and bring it to your meeting with the designer.

When you meet, be sure to bring any notes and examples of content that you have, as well as examples. Be sure that you understand what the designer tells you, and don't be afraid to ask questions or clarify. Actually, it's better to ask as many questions as you need to about the process so you know what's going on and what you're agreeing to. You should also make sure you understand what work the price will cover and if you'd need to pay additional money for testing, bug fixes, or redesigns. Make sure the designer contacts you regularly with screenshots or live examples of the progress so you can tell him or her whether it's what you wanted or not. And, finally, be open to suggestions and advice for how to do something differently; the designer is there to help you make your website the best it can be.

Making a website can take time and money, but these days it's necessary to have an online presence. If you want to come across as professional, then you should hire a web designer or web design company, like Codank Web Design, to create the site and layout for you and give you advice.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

How to avoid scope creep

We've all experienced it at some point - you start a project with one thing in mind, and it just keeps getting bigger and more expensive and time-consuming as more and more features are added on. When it comes to designing a web page, scope creep can do more than blow budgets and deadlines. It can ultimately ruin the concept with too much jazz and not enough clarity and functionality. However uncontrollable it may seem, there are some things you can do to help prevent that urge to 'add just one more thing.'

1. 
   Understand and communicate the scope of the project. Sometimes, scope creep happens because the project isn't outlined in specific detail. Vague descriptions can cause people to go beyond what is necessary and continue to add features until they run past the deadline. When working with your development and design team, you need to lay out the specifics and make sure they understand what you want. Be sure to check in on their progress frequently and talk to them at each step of the project. Listen and share your concerns - but be careful only to include valid concerns instead of wistful thinking.
   


2. 
   Make an ordered list of objectives and assign importance to each item. Once you've agreed on what to include in the project, you need to make a list describing each step and each goal that you want to accomplish. You need to decide how critical each aspect is to the overall completion of the project and make sure to focus additional time and resources to those items. This will keep you from getting caught up in the small, less significant details. As far as web design is concerned, aesthetics mean nothing if the framework and structure are neglected.
   


3. 
   Construct a schedule and leave room for the unexpected and errors. In the initial stages of development, you need to create a schedule that details when each part of the project should be completed. Give a little extra time beyond your prediction so developers can correct errors and other bumps in the road. There will be mistakes and there will be problems; nothing is ever launched without a hitch of some sort. But if you give yourself just enough room to fix errors without giving too much time to be tempted to add new items, then you should stay on task and complete your project on time.
   

Although you will inevitably encounter some degree of scope creep, if you stick with your objectives and plan, you should be able to keep it relatively under control. When developing your website, you can contact a web design and development company, such as Codank Web Design, to help you through the whole process of planning and developing.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com