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LUMINA Web Design
Before we create and upload a website, we take the time to plan exactly what is needed in your website.
Thoroughly considering the audience or target market, as well as defining the purpose and deciding what
content will be developed are extremely important.
We use a process of conceptualization, planning, modeling, and execution of electronic media content delivery
via Internet in the form of technologies suitable for interpretation and display by a web browser or other web-
based graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
Our goal is to create a web site that presents content (including interactive features or interfaces) to the end
user in the form of web pages. We place various elements of text, forms, and bit-mapped images (GIFs,
JPEGs, PNGs) on your site using HTML, XHTML, or XML tags. Displaying more complex media (vector
graphics, animations, videos, sounds) can also be embedded into your web pages by using HTML or XHTML
tags.
LUMINA classifies web pages as static or dynamic.
Static pages don’t change content and layout with every request unless we manually update the page.
Dynamic pages adapt their content and/or appearance depending on the end-user’s input or interaction or
changes in the computing environment (user, time, database modifications, etc.) Content can be changed on
the client side (end-user's computer) by using client-side scripting languages (JavaScript, JScript, Actionscript,
media players and PDF reader plug-ins, etc.) to alter DOM elements (DHTML). Dynamic content is often
compiled on the server utilizing server-side scripting languages (PHP, ASP, Perl, Coldfusion, JSP, Python,
etc.). Both approaches are usually used in complex applications.
Before we create and upload a website, we take the time to plan exactly what is needed in your website.
Thoroughly considering the audience or target market, as well as defining the purpose and deciding what
content will be developed are extremely important.
We use a process of conceptualization, planning, modeling, and execution of electronic media content delivery
via Internet in the form of technologies suitable for interpretation and display by a web browser or other web-
based graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
Our goal is to create a web site that presents content (including interactive features or interfaces) to the end
user in the form of web pages. We place various elements of text, forms, and bit-mapped images (GIFs,
JPEGs, PNGs) on your site using HTML, XHTML, or XML tags. Displaying more complex media (vector
graphics, animations, videos, sounds) can also be embedded into your web pages by using HTML or XHTML
tags.
LUMINA classifies web pages as static or dynamic.
Static pages don’t change content and layout with every request unless we manually update the page.
Dynamic pages adapt their content and/or appearance depending on the end-user’s input or interaction or
changes in the computing environment (user, time, database modifications, etc.) Content can be changed on
the client side (end-user's computer) by using client-side scripting languages (JavaScript, JScript, Actionscript,
media players and PDF reader plug-ins, etc.) to alter DOM elements (DHTML). Dynamic content is often
compiled on the server utilizing server-side scripting languages (PHP, ASP, Perl, Coldfusion, JSP, Python,
etc.). Both approaches are usually used in complex applications.
Purpose
It is essential to define the purpose of the website as one of the first steps in the planning process. A purpose
statement should show focus based on what the website will accomplish and what the users will get from it. A
clearly defined purpose will help the rest of the planning process as the audience is identified and the content
of the site is developed. Setting short and long term goals for the website will help make the purpose clear and
plan for the future when expansion, modification, and improvement will take place.Goal-setting practices and
measurable objectives should be identified to track the progress of the site and determine success.
Audience
Defining the audience is a key step in the website planning process. The audience is the group of people who
are expected to visit your website – the market being targeted. These people will be viewing the website for a
specific reason and it is important to know exactly what they are looking for when they visit the site. A clearly
defined purpose or goal of the site as well as an understanding of what visitors want to do or feel when they
come to your site will help to identify the target audience. Upon considering who is most likely to need or use
the content, a list of characteristics common to the users such as:
* Audience Characteristics
* Information Preferences
* Computer Specifications
* Web Experience
Taking into account the characteristics of the audience will allow an effective website to be created that will
deliver the desired content to the target audience.
Content
Content evaluation and organization requires that the purpose of the website be clearly defined. Collecting a
list of the necessary content then organizing it according to the audience's needs is a key step in website
planning. In the process of gathering the content being offered, any items that do not support the defined
purpose or accomplish target audience objectives should be removed. It is a good idea to test the content and
purpose on a focus group and compare the offerings to the audience needs. The next step is to organize the
basic information structure by categorizing the content and organizing it according to user needs. Each
category should be named with a concise and descriptive title that will become a link on the website. Planning
for the site's content ensures that the wants or needs of the target audience and the purpose of the site will be
fulfilled.
Compatibility and restrictions
Because of the market share of modern browsers (depending on your target market), the compatibility of your
website with the viewers is restricted. For instance, a website that is designed for the majority of websurfers will
be limited to the use of valid XHTML 1.0 Strict or older, Cascading Style Sheets Level 1, and 1024x768 display
resolution. This is because Internet Explorer is not fully W3C standards compliant with the modularity of XHTML
1.1 and the majority of CSS beyond 1. A target market of more alternative browser (e.g. Firefox, Safari and
Opera) users allow for more W3C compliance and thus a greater range of options for a web designer.
Another restriction on webpage design is the use of different Image file formats. The majority of users can
support GIF, JPEG, and PNG (with restrictions). Again Internet Explorer is the major restriction here, not fully
supporting PNG's advanced transparency features, resulting in the GIF format still being the most widely used
graphic file format for transparent images.
Many website incompatibilities go unnoticed by the designer and unreported by the users. The only way to be
certain a website will work on a particular platform is to test it on that platform.
Planning documentation
Documentation is used to visually plan the site while taking into account the purpose, audience and content, to
design the site structure, content and interactions that are most suitable for the website. Documentation may
be considered a prototype for the website – a model which allows the website layout to be reviewed, resulting
in suggested changes, improvements and/or enhancements. This review process increases the likelihood of
success of the website.
First, the content is categorized and the information structure is formulated. The information structure is used
to develop a document or visual diagram called a site map. This creates a visual of how the web pages will be
interconnected, which helps in deciding what content will be placed on what pages. There are three main ways
of diagramming the website structure:
* Linear Website Diagrams will allow the users to move in a predetermined sequence;
* Hierarchical structures (of Tree Design Website Diagrams) provide more than one path for users to take to
their destination;
* Branch Design Website Diagrams allow for many interconnections between web pages such as hyperlinks
within sentences.
In addition to planning the structure, the layout and interface of individual pages may be planned using a
storyboard. In the process of storyboarding, a record is made of the description, purpose and title of each
page in the site, and they are linked together according to the most effective and logical diagram type.
Depending on the number of pages required for the website, documentation methods may include using pieces
of paper and drawing lines to connect them, or creating the storyboard using computer software.
Some or all of the individual pages may be designed in greater detail as a website wireframe, a mock up model
or comprehensive layout of what the page will actually look like. This is often done in a graphic program, or
layout design program. The wireframe has no working functionality, only planning, though it can be used for
selling ideas to other web design companies.
It is essential to define the purpose of the website as one of the first steps in the planning process. A purpose
statement should show focus based on what the website will accomplish and what the users will get from it. A
clearly defined purpose will help the rest of the planning process as the audience is identified and the content
of the site is developed. Setting short and long term goals for the website will help make the purpose clear and
plan for the future when expansion, modification, and improvement will take place.Goal-setting practices and
measurable objectives should be identified to track the progress of the site and determine success.
Audience
Defining the audience is a key step in the website planning process. The audience is the group of people who
are expected to visit your website – the market being targeted. These people will be viewing the website for a
specific reason and it is important to know exactly what they are looking for when they visit the site. A clearly
defined purpose or goal of the site as well as an understanding of what visitors want to do or feel when they
come to your site will help to identify the target audience. Upon considering who is most likely to need or use
the content, a list of characteristics common to the users such as:
* Audience Characteristics
* Information Preferences
* Computer Specifications
* Web Experience
Taking into account the characteristics of the audience will allow an effective website to be created that will
deliver the desired content to the target audience.
Content
Content evaluation and organization requires that the purpose of the website be clearly defined. Collecting a
list of the necessary content then organizing it according to the audience's needs is a key step in website
planning. In the process of gathering the content being offered, any items that do not support the defined
purpose or accomplish target audience objectives should be removed. It is a good idea to test the content and
purpose on a focus group and compare the offerings to the audience needs. The next step is to organize the
basic information structure by categorizing the content and organizing it according to user needs. Each
category should be named with a concise and descriptive title that will become a link on the website. Planning
for the site's content ensures that the wants or needs of the target audience and the purpose of the site will be
fulfilled.
Compatibility and restrictions
Because of the market share of modern browsers (depending on your target market), the compatibility of your
website with the viewers is restricted. For instance, a website that is designed for the majority of websurfers will
be limited to the use of valid XHTML 1.0 Strict or older, Cascading Style Sheets Level 1, and 1024x768 display
resolution. This is because Internet Explorer is not fully W3C standards compliant with the modularity of XHTML
1.1 and the majority of CSS beyond 1. A target market of more alternative browser (e.g. Firefox, Safari and
Opera) users allow for more W3C compliance and thus a greater range of options for a web designer.
Another restriction on webpage design is the use of different Image file formats. The majority of users can
support GIF, JPEG, and PNG (with restrictions). Again Internet Explorer is the major restriction here, not fully
supporting PNG's advanced transparency features, resulting in the GIF format still being the most widely used
graphic file format for transparent images.
Many website incompatibilities go unnoticed by the designer and unreported by the users. The only way to be
certain a website will work on a particular platform is to test it on that platform.
Planning documentation
Documentation is used to visually plan the site while taking into account the purpose, audience and content, to
design the site structure, content and interactions that are most suitable for the website. Documentation may
be considered a prototype for the website – a model which allows the website layout to be reviewed, resulting
in suggested changes, improvements and/or enhancements. This review process increases the likelihood of
success of the website.
First, the content is categorized and the information structure is formulated. The information structure is used
to develop a document or visual diagram called a site map. This creates a visual of how the web pages will be
interconnected, which helps in deciding what content will be placed on what pages. There are three main ways
of diagramming the website structure:
* Linear Website Diagrams will allow the users to move in a predetermined sequence;
* Hierarchical structures (of Tree Design Website Diagrams) provide more than one path for users to take to
their destination;
* Branch Design Website Diagrams allow for many interconnections between web pages such as hyperlinks
within sentences.
In addition to planning the structure, the layout and interface of individual pages may be planned using a
storyboard. In the process of storyboarding, a record is made of the description, purpose and title of each
page in the site, and they are linked together according to the most effective and logical diagram type.
Depending on the number of pages required for the website, documentation methods may include using pieces
of paper and drawing lines to connect them, or creating the storyboard using computer software.
Some or all of the individual pages may be designed in greater detail as a website wireframe, a mock up model
or comprehensive layout of what the page will actually look like. This is often done in a graphic program, or
layout design program. The wireframe has no working functionality, only planning, though it can be used for
selling ideas to other web design companies.
Steps we Take in the Development of your Website
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