AM Design

Your Website: From start to Finish and Beyond…

Some people have the notion that making a website is no big deal. Depending on the site, it can be quite an undertaking. Fortunately, we have developed a process over a decade of trial and error that allows us to effectively manage the website process, regardless of scale. We utilize a phase-based process, allowing us to focus on specific parts of the project, while providing a smooth experience for the client. Although not every detail is listed here, here is an overview to familiarize you with the AM Design Web Project Process:

Discovery and Design

For the sake of this discussion, we begin the process the moment that a project is closed, or sold.  The contract is signed, and the first invoice is sent. A job jacket is made (our format for keeping track of all the project details) with a sitemap in it, as well as a project overview and a copy of the contract. The person who closed the sale meets with the Project Manager and/or Art Director to see where the project fits on our production calendar. We determine a timeline and set up the first call with the client.

The First Call is a big deal, as it signifies the beginning of the Design Phase, and it’s where we explain our entire process, top to bottom, sort of like I’m doing here. The client is introduced to their project manager and/or Art Director, and becomes familiar with Basecamp, the project management software we use. Basecamp® is used to store all our email communication, as well as share files. At this point, the client knows what the plan is and what they have to do to help us make it happen. There are many details we need to get before we get a site rolling: finalize the sitemap, solidify design direction, establish a timeline, plan trainings on the CMS, etc. Once we have those details in place, everyone involved on the AM side of things meets to review the project. This insures all parties know what’s being built and how we are going to accomplish it.

At this point, the artists get to work. We have a 3-proof process, with the first proof having 2 or 3 options of homepage design, the second proof has a homepage and subpage, and the final proof has a refined look at the (hopefully) final homepage, subpage, and any additional layouts needed. Obviously, different sites require different variations of this model, requiring more or fewer templates, but once everything is approved by the client, we enter the Development Phase.

Development

The Art Director and Lead Developer meet to make sure the planned functionality and the approved design of the site are in sync, and then the developers get to work. Every module and every task is assigned in a system called Harvest®. This allows us to list specific things that need to be done, as well as track the time it takes to perform all those tasks. As soon as the developers get to work, we do basic training with the client, introducing the basic elements of their content management system (if they have one) so they can begin putting content in their pages.

Testing and Launch

Once all tasks have been accomplished, we begin testing. It is important we test every page and every module in all of the standard browsers (IE 6+, Firefox, and Safari). Aaron and the Art Director triple-check the whole project, give it the thumbs up, and we are ready for Advanced Training.

In Advanced Training we review every last inch of the CMS for our client, training anyone and everyone who will be using it through a program called GoToMeeting®. This allows our client to view the trainer’s screen from anywhere in the world. Once that is completed, the client can review the CMS and the site and request any desired changes or updates.

The Launch Phase is the shortest phase, but some key information is vital to launching the site without a hitch. The hosting package, email setup and urls are all determined way back in the First Call, but we implement them here. After the site is up and running, we send the final invoice and keep the site on close watch for about 2 weeks. During this time, the client keeps in contact with their project manager, watching for any glitches to make sure everything runs smoothly. At the end of that period, we close out all Harvest® and Basecamp® projects, archive the whole project (for worst-case scenarios down the road) and switch the client over to our Support Team for any future maintenance or support items.

Now you are well-versed in the AM Design process. If you are interested in anything we talked about or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to shoot us an email or give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you.