Unit 1.1 Website Preproduction Guides.

Unit 1.1 Website Preproduction Guides.

What preproduction is needed for Website Design and are the elements important?

Pre-production in terms of website design is the detailed logging of processes carried out during the creative period of the website done by website designer. Although there is no strict way this process is done it can be carried out in several steps to ensure the greatest level of completion, and is carried out to provide plans and mock ups which can be provided on completion to various benefactors like testers and in the end the clientele. There are several key elements which are required in the preproduction file all with different planning and design purposes.

On most occasions the first thing included in the preproduction file is the original proposal which more than it is not is sent to an external client with the rough ideas and basic intentions of the website. This process is very important for establishing healthy working relationships with clientele which allows them to have a broader knowledge on what their money is paying for and allows ideas to be shared via all parties, good communication between said parties is crucial in the successful production of a website. Also to prevent confusion of any nature all communications to external contributors should be evidenced in the pre-production file, one to give credit where it is due, and also to prevent any mistakes effected by poor communication for example: mistaking what a client wants as content on their website, as this can be proven with appropriate documentation in the Preproduction.

Following the proposal is most commonly the “treatment” file, which is the write up of the initial plan after the proposal, with what is going to be designed already done this piece is more how it is going to be designed, what programmes are going to be used and how long each individual element will take to create to an acceptable level. This piece aids the designer in the creation of a timed plan and helps in the end with more accurate estimates of the amount of time it would take to complete the desired website for a client.

This is followed by the initial planning of a schedule, this is documented in the production file as a way to show external parties how much time is being put into or had been put into the work at hand. Also this is used to keep designers on track and on top of their work, with a detailed day to day schedule of what they should be doing at all times. Keeping up to date with this schedule will prevent the designer from falling behind schedule and evenly portioning his time between interactive elements correctly. This particular piece is good when the job isn’t a solo effort, keeping all members of a design team at all times is important for an employer who’s money is going into a project.

Once a designer or team of designers know how much time a project is going to take them roughly then can provide a price to their client that is why it is important for them to follow this basic outlines when creating a preproduction file. Knowing how much actual time is going into a project helps them to put a correct estimation of money on the piece. Which can then be corrected on completion of the project, this can also prevent designers rushing on their work and prevent them doing the opposite. This element of preproduction is very important when working on a longer project as they know they are getting paid correctly, also so they can look back on the finished piece and judge whether the initial pricing of the website was correct.

Again following this is the research into the market, this information is vital when producing a website; designers need to be on top of their market if they want their website to be successful in a hugely competitive industry. This research would include looking at similar websites, and maybe some primary research into the targets audience with questionnaires. This prevents you creating a website for the wrong target audience and gives the designer the chance to be inspired by similar products. Documenting this process with some picture evidence and evaluation again shows clientele the amount of time and effort a designer puts into their project.

After the research has been carried out and a schedule, target audience and basic budget is established the next file would be the evidence of the initial web ideas. This is the documenting of all the original ideas that are in the end chosen from, with annotations on why the designer did or did not chose it to be the final piece. This is important as it shows external parties a thought process is carried out and the best original idea is picked from. Furthermore having the plan of your original design allows you build upon it, and also how you strayed (if you did) from the original idea and to what benefit. This is good in the preproduction file as proof of your progression on the piece, once more this is used to re visit and build upon by the designer.

With the basic design for the website in place, it is then good to include the story bored of any media or interactive elements that are planned to be included on the website. File size and type have to be taken into consideration here as not everyone has the newest technology in terms of compatibility so they have to be presented in way that is accessible to everyone. This can be proven by Screen shots which can be added to later on. As frequently before this is used as evidence of progression as the original idea is developed and this process is recorded. The evidential information of these processes is very important when looking back on a completed website as clients can sit down and see where there product blossomed from creativity under the work of the websites creator.

With all the foundations in place, a designer would then crack onto producing his selected ideas: this can be a time consuming and tedious process if a lot of interactive elements are desired. This is great to evidence and include in the preproduction file. Step by step progression is great as evidence like on all the other separate pieces it can be viewed by external team members and they can see into your creative process and get a grip of the individual pieces of media. All of these documented processes are also used a last resort back up file, if a designer loses his work he need only follow his organised, chronological annotated documents and follow the steps they had already carried out.

This all leads to the final piece, the final website picture evidenced and proofed on different computing software to ensure compatibility. Included in the production file as the final product with all improvements made from the initial ideas and plans, this is the best way to show progression. Annotation of this final document linking it to the treatment document to show external parties what programs the designer used for each individual piece. Lastly on the final write up of the completed website a designer could add in how good his estimations of their time was, how long they actually spent on each element by accurately compiling evidence of the time they use along the way.

Then the concluding document in a preproduction file is the assessment of the website, what a designer thinks went well, what was harder than first anticipated things like that, their views on the processes carried out to complete the website. They can go onto evaluate how good their preparation was in terms of ideas and the documenting of their plans, basically sum up the interactive elements of the website and explain why each individual element was included to suit the prescribed purpose and target audience. This is to show the client and external parties that the designer has worked to their set requirements and has complied with their audience and targets in terms of suitability and style.

All of these individual processes of information are key to establishing the website for the client, the documentation of all the work carried out helps then view the website from the designers eyes, it also shows them where it can be improved and worked on in the future. If a designer hopes to thrive in the industry their pre productions skills must me above par, the process of planning they desired piece of media is key in the production of a website that is meant to thrive in the industry. But like previously stated the preproduction does not have to be carried out in these specific elements, as long as the detailed documentation of the three stages is carried out: Research then Planning and Design then Lastly the Evaluation. These are vital and are expected in part and parcel with the completed piece by clientele.