Client Information

Below you will find information on our services and production practices. It's a good idea for our clients to become familair with how we do things. This allows us to communicate more effectively. At CAL the DesignTeam considders the client to be an integral part of the project team. Working together is critical in ensuring a timely completion of jobs and complete customer satisfaction.

Web Design Process and Workflow

Phase1 Pre Production/Discovery

• Client Meeting- Initial exploratory meeting is set up with the client. The DesignTeam meets with the client to talk about a possible collaboration on a project. It's helpful if the client gets and fills out the questionnaire prior to the meeting.The initial meeting is designed so that we can get to know each other. We will ask some important questions and try to find out as best we can what the paramaters of the project are. We'll make a decision at the meeting or soon after on whether or not we are a good fit for your particular design problem.
• Contract/Questionnaire/ Planning Guide- A contract should be provided at the first meeting. If both parties agree to work together on a design project then a contract should be signed. A copy of the contract should be sent home with the client. If the client did not get a copy of the questionnaire prior to the first meeting they should be given one at this time. A more thorough planning guide will be given to the client once the contract is signed. This document is called the planning guide. The planning guide is a critical part of the design process. Without it our designers aren't able to create effectively. The planning guide is a time consuming task, but it is well worth the effort. We find that clients who do a thorough job with the planning guide are much more satisfied with their final result.
• Creative Brief/ Timeline- The creative brief is a concise description of the project. It includes project goals, marketing strategies, description of deliverables, basically describing the who, what, when, why and where of the project. The DesignTeam works collaboratively with the client to produce this document. Phase 2 cannot start without finalizing this document and getting a sign off by the client. The timeline is a list of major milestones in the project and their expected completion dates. The client signs off on this. It's important that once a timeline is established that the DesignTeam make every effort to meet those target deadlines.

  Sample Creative Brief
  Sample User Scenario

• Staging Site Setup- The DesignTeam will need to set up some space on a webserver to upload and test the website in development. In some cases this will happen on the client's web hosting server. In some cases this may happen on the CAL webserver. We prefer to use the client's server because we can test things in their actual end use location and this allows us to troubleshoot more effectively. This must be done before proceeding to Phase 2. We'll give the client the web address of the staging site so that they can check progress of the project at their convenience.
• Content Received- The project manager will get to the client a copy of the content agreement to be signed and faxed back to CAL. This is very important because it outlines the clients main area of responsibility in the project. Content creation and delivery is the responsibility of the client. This is one of the most important aspects of the process. Without timely reciept of content work on the project grinds to a halt. A target date should be agreed upon by both the DesignTeam and the client. Phase 2 can't begin until content is received.
• Client Signoff- Once all steps of Phase 1 are done, the DesignTeam will send a report to the client to sign and return. The DesignTeam will send a copy of the creative brief, the timeline, and the location of the staging site to the client.

Phase 2 Production

• Design Comps- The DesignTeam will create a total of 3 page designs. These aren't working web pages. These are snapshots of what a page could look like. These are often created in Photoshop and saved as jpeg images. The designers will use the questionnaire as a guide when creating comps. The client will review the comps and suggest changes. Once a final design is agreed upon the designer will hand off the design to the developer who will make it web ready.
• Site Map/ Content Chart- Once the DesignTeam gets content from the client the work of sorting and organizing the content begins. Sorting the content into logical groups will inform the structure of the website. A content chart will br produced that will describe each page and its content. A site map will be produced which is a visual representation of the site structure with short descriptions of the content for each page. The DesignTeam will send these documents to the client for approval.
• Template Build- The designer will hand off the Photoshop file to the template builder who will make the document web ready. This is a highly specialized job that requires someone who is familiar with photoshop and HTML coding. The template builder will create all the blank pages of the site and make sure that all the links work. The template builder will upload the template to the testing server and check it in different browsers and operating systems to insure comparability. Once this is done the content can be added.
• Site Build Out- This stage is where the actual content gets added to the site. The DesignTeam will refer to the site map and content chart to make sure the content gets placed correctly. Text and images are placed.
• Interactive and Dynamic Elements- After the content is added the DesignTeam works on any dynamic content. This would include things like calendars, mail lists, email systems, content management systems, blog scripts, shopping carts etc. These are all things that require special coding beyond HTML and must be installed and tested on the client's web server.

Phase 3 Post Production

• Proofread- The DesignTeam will go through the site text line by line and check for spelling and grammar errors. Completion of this step will be indicated in the post production checklist form.
• Bug Check- The DesignTeam will go through the site link by link and make sure all links work properly. Completion of this step is indicated on the post production checklist form.
• Upload to Server and Go Live- All files are uploaded to the client webserver and checked. The website is now live.
• Client Sign Off- The client is sent a copy of the post production checklist report. The client signs off on the project indicating completion. Any post project maintenance or updates are negotiated and agreed upon.