Absolute Essentials When Planning A Web Design / Web Development Project

Scenario: You have just agreed on a fantastic new website, then what does HYGEN need to get your website development started and on the way to online glory? Check out the list below to discover the core essentials...

• Domains: Your plans for domain name(s) and hosting: What names would you like us to register? What domains have you registered already? Domain names are important for branding and marketing as well as usability. Choose a descriptive keyword rich domain name. You should also keep it simple and easy to remember and type.
• Access Details: If we will be repairing, upgrading or moving your existing website or if you have relevant existing domain names and hosting, please provide the full access details. This is normally a control panel login for domains / hosting (ask the company that you used to register your domains). FTP access to your websites is crucial so that we can work with any of your existing website components.
• Content: Please prepare and submit to us all images, photos, diagrams, text, documents, audio, movies etc that you would like to have on your website before we start work. We can get your site online faster and have a greater understanding of your site structure from your actual content. Remember when writing content, keep it key word rich, readable and to the point. Try to avoid using Microsoft Word for preparing and submitting your site content. Plain text files are far better as MS Word adds hidden markup that can cause problems when being added to a database or web page.
• Artwork Logos & Images: It is crucial that you send us any existing logos and artwork that you wish to use on your new web site. When sending us graphics, including logos, please submit "layered files" to us in as high a resolution as possible. Our preferred format is The Gimp .xcf file format or Adobe PhotoShop's *.psd format. Make sure you double check with your graphic designer!
• Inspiration!: The more inspired ideas you have and links to websites that you like (competitors, friends sites etc) the better. Inspiration early on saves allot of perspiration later! Try to provide us with at least two links to such websites and describe what you like about them and what you don't want to implement in your websites. Also try and give us all of the dirt on your online business competitors, the more we know about them, the more we can take your sites up a level and give you all the important advantages.

To avoid any delays or pitfalls, please provide as much as the above before we start work on your project, then the process will be of to a smooth start.

Helpful Optional Extras

Most often our clients have really helped out with some great team work and contributed some super extras to the web development process. Here are a few ideas that really brighten up our day and make projects go along so much better!

• Layout Sketches & Diagrams: Even if you are not an artist or don't employ one, quick rough sketches of your ideas for website layout are priceless. We can quickly identify your needs for positioning of elements on the pages and website navigation and structure from basic diagrams.
• Extra communication: Its good to talk! The more feedback we get at every stage of development the better, as it narrows the chance of our development going even slightly off-track from your expectations. Emails are good, but talking is brilliant, so do call us up often and relay your thoughts - positive or negative!

File Formats

Some file formats can be troublesome if they are proprietary / commercial. Please try and avoid using the following file formats when submitting documents, images and other content to HYGEN.

• Microsoft .docx files. Convert .docx to .doc
• Microsoft PowerPoint files
• Adobe Illustrator Files Convert .ai to .pdf

Royalty Free / Public Domain Images

Try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Public_domain_image_resources for a list of useful resources for free to use images. Another great resource us SXS.hu.