A Web refresh, that’s who. How do we do what we do? How do we approach a site refresh?
It’s really funny, but when I was thinking about how I would tell you all of this, I was reminded of the same thought process when I have my friends and family over for dinner. So let’s have some fun and go into the kitchen!
Data
Dinner: First, I have to take “my data” into consideration. Who is my audience? What do they like, what won’t they eat, does my brother even know what an artichoke is?
Web: We have data from surveys, usability studies, card sorts, Web Tastemakers, traffic reports, search keywords, and queries. It’s so much data, it’s enough to drive you mad, but it’s all useful and it guides us on our way and helps us create our vision for the site. It’s a funny thing about data, if you don’t know what your users want or need, just ask them, they love to tell you!
Inspiration and Vision
Dinner: What will I serve? I start pouring over cookbooks, magazines, and recipes for something that will please my audience and create a memorable experience (this should start sounding familiar right about now).
Web: We create a vision for the site by talking about new features, using existing ones in new ways, making better use of the content we have. What type of experience will our users have when they come to our site? Are we creating a user “experience” instead of just offering up information?
Decision-making
Dinner: I get to the point where I really need to make a decision so I can move on to the next step. Oh alright: Sit down? Buffet? Family style? Tapas? Formal? Informal? Etc. Etc. Etc. If I have trouble making a decision, I could go with what I like, but am I ready for the “what the heck are those, artichokes?!” comment. I think not. Go back to the vision and get back on track.
Web: We need to get started, so we make decisions on features, content, and also decide what can wait until later as an “added surprise”. The great thing about the Web is that it’s ever-changing, so you can add things later, so it’s not do-or die, like a soufflé.
Prep Work
Dinner: Getting ready: grocery lists, shopping, special equipment or gadgets needed (in case you didn’t know: gadgets are cool!), serving pieces, etc.
Web: We need to make sure we have all the little things aligned before we start so production runs as smoothly as it can. We may need to realign some content, create new content, tweak some databases, prepare photography, etc.
Production
Dinner: Wash, chop, sauté, whisk, simmer, bake, blah, blah, blah… (Yikes, I hope they like it).
Web: This is where we do what our business cards say we do, and we hope you like it!
Bon Appetit!
It’s really a lot to think about, and it seems crazy, but when the pressure’s on, I love it—a challenge I mean, not things exploding (or imploding) in the kitchen. Please don’t be afraid, dinner at my house is really not that scary.
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