Site Plan

[Codemuffin]

How do you plan your sites? Does the idea just strike you, and you go straight to your editor? Or do you break out the notebook paper and begin writing down how things should look, what needs to be done? I tend to plan first on paper, then execute with code. I have several templates - two column, three column, header, footer, etc. I know I'm going to be styling with CSS, so having the underlying HTML the way I want it is important to me.

Any preference of standard, while we're at it? I used to do HTML 4.01 Transitional, but lately I've been in an XHTML 1.0 Strict kind of mood. I read how to make sure to feed the right content type to each browser with PHP, and I can't wait till my next site to implement it. I'm planning another re-do of my home page (which is woefully blank, since I can't think of what I want to do next), and my blog, which the newest copy of Movable Type ate my pretty stylesheet.

Just trying to get some perspective on how other people do things.

Codemuffin

[jcl]

I never design ahead of time. Usually I start with a basic XHTML (strict, always) template and grow the page from it, refactoring and redesigning until the structure seems reasonable. Then I work on the CSS, restructuring as needed, until it looks decent.

Last time I did any work on a page it was backed by a mess of Ruby scripts, so I spent a lot of time extracting parts of the XHTML and moving them into the scripts. Then I got distracted trying to move from XHTML to XML with a transformation layer (both Ruby and XSLT at different times) and got bored and quit.

The standards I use are determined by the Mozilla project; I use whatever Firefox supports. RIght now that means XHTML 1.1 and CSS2. When they're supported I'll switch to XHTML 2 and CSS3. I really want to move to site-specific XML and throw out XHTML entirely, but that seems somewhat impractical.

If I were designing a site now I'd probably forgo the XHTML hacking and use something more reasonable and generate XHTML as needed.

Edited March 21, 2005 by jcl

[tictoc5150]

Well, since I'm not a total codemonkey (or muffin, if you will ), my pages are about as simple as they come...I've never pre-thought about a page before making it, much less, drawn it on paper.

I generally use whatever wysiwyg editor I feel like using (lately, that'd be Nvu) and just start making changes to the blank page. Once done, any subsequent changes would be done with kwrite...and since Mozilla composer and Nvu seem to create valid HTML 4.01 Transitional, that'd be my standards preference...I didn't even have a preference or know how to check html validation until a couple months ago and have even gone back to correct the debockles that have come from using dreamweaver....I guess web-interoperability matters to me even if I didn't see anything wrong with my pages from browser to browser (and I do check my pages in 5 different browsers...but not IE!!!!..lol)

side note:

I have no intention of ever being a webmaster or of learning the intricacies of web design (no real need to) so, my pages, as simple as they may be, are and will be stuffed in some little outta the way place on the web.....I may recant that statement someday, as I thought I'd never be a geek but here I sit in front of a linux machine with 3 other PCs in the house (one of which I'm trying to get gentoo working on...lol)

[bozodog]

Well, I know all of you "codies" are purests.. But I have just started using Namo.. what a nice program for n00bs...

[Besttechie]

Hi Everyone,

I must admit, I don't plan out my sites. I usually just go with what I feel at the moment. I've never written down my site plans on a piece of paper, but I have planned some of it out in my head then I get to work and go from there. Now, I am very particular about my site, if something doesn't look or feel right I take it away and try something else. I'm not the kind of guy who just throws something down and calls it done. My site is never ever done. There is always something to change, fix, add, make different, etc.

B

[Pierce]

I am in my spare time a professional web designer. And yes the first thing i do when i need to make a site is break out the pen and paper. The main reason is that ive found i always have this wonderful idea in my head, when I sit down at dreamweaver its like, wtf do i do now? Other people usualy like to draw out the layout in some sort of picture editor and then convert it into a web page.

The reason for drawing it out on paper is simple, it gives you an idea of how to tackle the code/tools to make that page. Also if you end up at the "what am i doing moment" its a nice way to reference back to paper. Your site may not be complex or overly dramatic and simple text, but even the correct layout of text is vital if your going to convey what your trying to show people.

Some people have the ability to sit down and do a layout from scratch, some dont. But remember the 6 P's, Proper Preparation Prevents Pissy Poor Performance. If you wanted to upgrade your site at a later date can the current design handle the future or does it need to start from scratch, what are the bandwidth loads this design will place on my hosting, how long will it take to render. These questions may not apply to you, but the future is always untold.

Pierce

[Nerelda]

I can never remember too much unless I write it down, but for some reason, I can create an image in my head for what I want on a website, and go from there. I've never written down stuff for a site I've done. If I were to be designing for a customer though, I would take the time to write everything down for records sake.

[Matt]

Whenever I decide to make a site, it is usually based off of an idea I got in scholl or something. When I get home, I go to frontpage (if im lazy) or notepad, and just roll with it. I dont follow any set in stone design. This may not be this best idea, its probably why sites i make, I give up on in about 1-2 weeks. Oh well, its just a hoby.

Matt

[mikex]

I made one site it was for money. I started with paper,sketched each page. When I finished the site and the paper looked nothing alike. Now the owner maintains the site and it is bad shape. Not updated in months. Tried to goto the site, it appears they shut it down.

M

Got a call from a family member to build a site for their company.

M

Edited March 28, 2005 by mikex

[MtnPictures]

Well my site isn't advance at all. Plain, simple, and boring, but I'm working with some new stuff for it. But anyways, I usually just open EditPlus and go with the flow.

[Brian_Holiday]

I don't have a lot of experence, but I was taught to start out on paper.

The hardest part is coming up with a good idea that is unique, I have a real hard time just joining a pack as a lookalike.

BH

[quickbasicguru]

I am not the best.

I make my template as I make my template...

What I really like is XML+XSL+CSS, it makes it easy to add and remove info.

Plus, there are server side scripts to turn XML+XSL into XHTML, and you can also "save" the rendered page in Firefox as XHTML if you use the DOM Inspector...

[bearskin]

heck I don't know anything about coding...I did my site because the wife was bugging me to do it...took me 3 months for simple stuff...no pre-planning- just wandered in blindly.