Bluworks design.

 

When we first discuss the client's needs, we think of several things that become important to us during the design process. The creation of a website varies greatly based on the needs of the client and their intended audience. These things can greatly change the way the client and the viewers interact with the website. These things include:

The Bluworks design process generally follows this development cycle.

Note: Not all phases must occur for all websites. Many sites, including www.bluworks.net, jump straight from the first debugging phase to finalization and deployment, while the development of more complex sites may require additional steps. This results in a much faster development cycle.

The design phase

The design phase is the most important phase of the website creation process, because it provides a foundation on which each of the other steps build. The initial design of the site is done entirely graphically using a variety of graphical design applications. This includes the creation of the site's layout images, such as the gradients and borders of the webpage, as well as company logos and content images.

The creation of a webpage
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Note: During each phase of design, we have the ability to communicate with the customer to gather their input and suggestions. During the design phase, we might send the customer a basic work in progress to gather their opinion and gain suggestions. If the customer entirely disapproves, we can simply throw that design away as a failed experiment and try again with a new design.

The initial coding phase

The initial coding process can be one of the longest and most difficult steps in web design. After the design phase, the images created during the design phase must be put together in a way that is efficient, practical, and compatible. This involves using code that is up to date with all the latest standards but also backwards compatible with the older web browsers and older computers, as well as slower and faster internet connections.

Fact: The Bluworks homepage was designed for those with slower internet connections - the entire homepage, including images, is only around 20 kilobytes, meaning that someone with an average dialup connection can download the page in only two seconds, and someone with a broadband connection can load it in less than one-tenth of a second.

When we make a site, we take several things into account: the speed, the simplicity, and the beauty. While often times we might use javascript and flash to make a more visually interesting site, many times simplicity and speed are more important characteristics to a website. This is where the client's target audience comes into play, and we spend a lot of time with our clients discussing the best solution for them. To use effects like transparency and lightboxes adds to the network load and load on the viewers computer, and discussions with the client help to decide what the best method of coding is. As you can see, bluworks.net uses very simple elements to keep the site fast and responsive, as well as techniques such as external stylesheets and thumbnailed, web-optimized images to create a simple, optimized, and moderately interesting to look at website.

coding
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First debugging phase

Many problems arise during the creation of a website. During a phase known as debugging, we test every page for compatability to make sure it remains the same in all browsers in all platforms and is displayed as the owner intended.

problem
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The above image shows an error we had at first while creating the Bluworks webpage in Internet Explorer. When we create a website, we always first test the websites in over 40 different browsers on 5 different operating systems to make sure everyone on the internet can view the page as intended.

Advanced feature development, scripting, and second debugging phase

Many websites need additional development beyond the initial design. This phase includes the inclusion of features such as

Naturally, the inclusion of such features mandates a secondary debugging of the application layer on top of the HTML design layer. Once these are tested and functional, finalization begins.

Finalization and final debugging

After the site is completed, it requires finalization and debugging again before it is deployed. First it is uploaded to one of our testing servers and used in the same way that it would be used on the web, first from the administrative perspective, then from the user perspective. It undergoes testing over a long period of time and in many different OS and browser environments. It is then declared gold and is ready for deployment.

Deployment

Once the design is finalized, the next step is to deploy it and place it on the web. This requires a domain name and a hosting provider. Bluworks is able to provide simple hosting services for smaller websites. We also provide free configuration on any web hosting service you choose or we recommend. Websites with community features or web database applications will require quite a bit of additional configuration.

Maintenance

One challenge facing customers after deployment is the addition of content. For clients who wish to add content regularly, we offer content management applications. However, for sites whose content changes only occasionally, we offer free maintenance and content updates. Simply send us the content you wish to add, and if it does not require additional design (changing the site layout) we will add it for free in 24-36 hours.