Design in Context: A Web Design Blog by Greg Kihlstrom

I'm moving... to WordPress

After many years at typepad.com, I've decided to move my blog over to WordPress.  Like most things with my blog, this will probably happen slower than I'd like it to, but will happen soon.

Thanks all, and I hope you follow me to my new home

Choosing the Right Web Content Management System

Very few commercial Web sites do not have a Content Management System (CMS) these days.  The tools to create an easy way to add and update content for your site are easy enough to use and implement that even small businesses can easily put together a Web site using WordPress, Drupal or Joomla with or without the help of a Web Design and Development firm.  These 'stock' installations of these popular Open Source Content Management Systems offer a lot of great features that the average company will be able to use, and skinning them so that they look like a company's unique identity can be quite simple to do if you are just wanting to change basic colors and logos.

Larger Web sites, however, can be much more complex to set up, and often have unique needs that the basic installation of one of these free, Open Source systems do not have 'out of the box.' For instance, Drupal might have a user registration module, but the entire workflow and registration process for your organization might have drastically different needs.  The question is: do you compromise what you want, or get your Content Management System to work the way you want it to?  I will always recommend the latter.  There are so many options out there that you should never have to compromise your vision.

There are three ways to approach the challenge of truly unique needs and requirements:

1. Modify an Open Source Content Management System to suit your needs.
Again, this is something that I've done countless times and it definitely possible.  If you are drastically modifying the core of the CMS, I would strongly recommend finding a company that has a lot of experience with the Content Management System you are using.  You want to make sure that it will be relatively painless to upgrade the core system without making too many modifications.  A less experienced programmer might unknowingly make a change to the Content Management System's underlying functionality that will prove problematic later on.

2. Find a Content Management System that has the functionality you are looking for, or something very close to it.
This might involve moving towards a licencsed, proprietary Content Management System.  There is certainly nothing wrong with this option, and many larger organizations have found that the Open Source CMS options out there are good, but not tailored towards the larger, enterprise mindset and need for scalability.  There are plenty of great licensed CMS platforms out there, ranging anywhere from $5,000/year to upwards of $100,000/year and, like anything else, the more you pay, the more flexibility, expandability and technical support you will get. You will be able to get the system customized to your liking as well by working with either the CMS company itself or a preferred vendor. Obviously, companies and organizations with little to no annual licensing budgets will quickly find that what they are looking for is out of reach, and might go back to looking at the Open Source options.

3. Create your own Content Management System
Some times, there are just such specific work flow and functional needs for your Web site or Web-based application that it does not make sense to use either a standard Open Source CMS or another proprietary one. For a site that interfaces with other very unique systems, has unique user/member needs, or has only one aspect that needs to be controlled by a WYSIWYG editor, some times it makes sense to just develop a custom Content Management System that handles these parts of your Web site. The advantages of a customized CMS is that it does EXACTLY what you want it to, the way you want it to.  The drawback, of course, is that if you want to change Web Development vendors, you will want to make sure that your new vendor can work with your system.  The benefit of an Open Source system is that there is a large community of developers familiar with the system, and the benefit of a proprietary system is that most of the time there is a highly qualified preferred vendor network that can help you if you need to change Web Development providers.

Choosing a Web Content Management System is not an easy task, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that your CMS should not determine what your Web site can do.  Make sure you find the one that will let you and your organization accomplish its goals.

4 Tips for Successful Flash Game Design and Development

It is a lot of fun to design and develop Interactive Flash games for clients and these interactive games can accomplish a number of important things such as education and awareness, viral marketing for the end client, or they can just be a fun enhancement to a Web site that provides stickiness and return visits.

Here are four important things to keep in mind when designing your Flash game:

1. Make it difficult, but not impossible

Players like a challenge, but they like to be able to envision victory.  A game shouldn't be so easy that you can win it every time, but don't go to the other extreme by making it so difficult that it is very unlikely that someone could win it without the computer gods intervening on their behalf. No one likes to feel foolish for trying to play an impossible game. 

If the game is very hard, build in small rewards along the way that keep the user engaged and keeps their spirits up while they get better and train to become a champ.  Many times this is done by starting off with an "Easy" level, or by creating different modes of difficulty that a user can choose before starting the game.  For instance, you can give them the ability to choose between novice, intermediate and expert modes.  This way, they know that they might not have a chance to win at expert mode until they've practiced up a bit.

2. Make it easy and rewarding to play again

Even if a player wins your game, make it a rewarding experience for them to play again.  Randomize some elements of the game, or give them the chance to play a slightly different version somehow, each time they start.  Think about other ways to give your players an incentive to play multiple times.  This is an easy way to encourage your Web site visitors to come back often.

While you're at it, think about what else you can put on the Web page that the Interactive Game is on that might benefit them, or cause them to want to browse the rest of your Web site.

3. Make it easy to share

When the player wins (or loses) the Flash game you designed, what happens if they had fun and want to tell their friends?  Make it easy on them to share the game.  Now it's very easy to add a bookmarking button (such as AddThis or ShareThis) to the page that has your game on it.  Try to think of some other creative ways that will encourage your game players to share it.

4. Don't let technical hurdles get in the way

Try to design and develop your Flash games in a way that ensures the maximum number of people will be able to use them and get the most out of them.  For instance, did you know that users of Internet Explorer will not be able to reload a dynamic XML file you load in your Flash file unless you use what's called a "cache buster?"  It took me a couple minutes to figure that one out myself.  Try to use the correct version of the plug-in, depending on the audience as well.  More tech-savvy users will probably upgrade to the latest Flash Player, but some less experienced users might be stuck 1 or 2 versions back.

Was Your Web Design and Development Project Successful?

After completing a large Website Design and Development project, some times it's just nice to call the project complete.  After all, several months of living and breathing Web messaging, images, colors, functionality, work flow, and so much more can leave you relieved that your project is live, looks great and works like you intended.

It is very important, however, to take a look back and see how successful the project really was.  Each project will have a different measure of success, and some times the goals might shift slightly along the way, but here's some things to help you determine if your Web site Design and Development project accomplished what it needed to.

1. Review the original projects requirements

Did the original project requirements get fulfilled?  For instance, if a requirement of your Web site project was that you allow for paid event registration, does your new Web site have that?

Secondly, was the paid event registration implemented in the manner that you had originally imagined?

Finally, does the way that the functionality was created for your new Web site work well with the marketing and business processes your organization has in place? 

If you answered "yes" to all three of these questions, that's great -- you and your Web Design and Development firm were able to keep things in scope and created a piece of functionality that is exactly what you needed.

If you answered "no" to any or all of these, there are two possibilities:  either your objectives might have shifted during the process or your project was not successful in the area of having the basic requirements fulfilled. 

The first case (objectives shifting) is nothing to be worried too about. Many times some objectives or specifics can change once you are in the midst of a project.  It is important to be mindful of "scope creep" or asking for functionality above and beyond what was originally agreed to, because this could affect both the time line and the overall cost of your project, but you need to make sure that the product you end up with is what your organization really needs.  Much of this can be determined by going through a proper Request for Proposal (RFP) writing stage, and by working with your contracted Web site Design and Development firm to fully discover any additions or changes from your written RFP.

If you answered "no" and your needs and requirements did not change, it is a problem.  Why does your Web site not have this functionality you need?  Was there a miscommunication between you and the contracted firm?  Were the requirements not clearly documented?  Were you not able to review the finished Web site before a 'final draft' of the product was available to view?  Just as importantly, what is being done to fix this problem? 

2. Ask a Sampling of Customers and Colleagues

Another way to gauge your Web Design and Development project's success is to ask the opinions of a select group of people familiar with you and your business objectives.  Given that these people have an understanding of your target market and what you do, they can give you some advice about what was done right and what could be improved.

It's not a bad idea to get some of these same people involved much earlier in the process.  A Beta testing group is a great way to make some final text and graphic tweaks to your pages.  Be careful not to let people's individual tastes in color, spacing, fonts and other things compromise your vision, though.  Pay attention to the larger idea behind their feedback.  Instead of heeding the advice of someone who says "I hate that color orange that you used for your registration buttons," find out if the registration button itself was easy for them to find.  Even if they don't like the color, the important point is that they are able to get through the registration process, not if the buttons are shaded in their favorite colors.

3. Check Your Analytics

Before you launch your new Web site, make sure you have statistics on how people were interacting with your old site.  This is crucial to determine if you have improved processes or not.  Some times the purpose of a project is really just to modernize the look and feel, and that is perfectly fine.  If, however, the purpose was to drive more sales conversions, acquire more Email addresses, or something like that, you need to have the historical data to make an educated assessment of whether or not your changes worked.

Google Analytics, is cheap (it's actually free) and easy to use.  It's an easy yway to get instant feedback on how many people are getting to your site, where they are going, and in many cases, what they are doing on your site.

4. Take A Survey

Some times the friends and colleagues who know about you and your organization might not be able to take that additional step backwards and give you the opinions that someone less familiar with you can.  If it is appropriate, find a way to survey some fresh eyes and see what they think.  See if they were able to get the basic idea of what you are selling from only spending a few minutes on your Web site.  See if they were able to easily contact you using the navigation on the site.  

5. Do a Personal Review

What about your Web site would you change after going through this process?  Chances are, it's not something that you would have thought about before the entire process started. Don't be too hard on yourself for overlooking something that you could only see after getting your Web presence to this new point, but instead be realistic.  Is this a positive step forward for you and your organization?  Is this what was agreed upon from the beginning?  Are your customers responding better to the new design and functionality?  Are you getting good feedback from the colleagues who regularly check your site?  If so, congratulations!

These 5 things should help you determine if your Web site Design and Development Project was successful.  Make some notes about each aspect and see what could be changed easily, and take a little time to see if some of the things on your list might not be necessary after all.  When you spend several months living and breathing a project like this, it's easy to get stuck in the minute details, but given a little perspective and time you might find that your original plan had a lot more wisdom in it.  Take a little time to let the newly launched project take life and review things again in 1-2 months.  You might have some even better ideas then, and you might also realize that a lot of what you have is perfect as is.

Good article on Social Media and SEO

I thought there were some good thoughts in this article that talks about how a marketing firm used Social Media and Search Engine Optimization to promote one of its clients.

Click here to view the article >

Enjoy.

Web Design and Development the Right Way

There is a lot of information about how a Web Design and Development company will handle a project once it is awarded, but I thought it would be a good idea to write a brief overview of the entire process from an organizational perspective.

1. Identify your Goals

While every organization handles this differently, it is important to identify your Marketing, Content and Technical Requirements for any new Web Design and Development project. This will most likely involve getting a number of people from your organization together in a room for several internal discovery meetings and putting together a list of needs and requirements.  They might include your overall branding and messaging goals, ideas from competitors or even unrelated companies that you would like to incorporate, and the technical specifications of your infrastructure.

2. Find a Qualified Web Design and Development Firm

Again, this is handled differently depending on your current situation.  Many organizations issue a Web Design and Development Request for Proposal (RFP), or if they have a short list of vendors they would like to work with, they send a request to those firms and have phones calls and meetings about their requirements.  Whether or not you issue a formal, public Request for Proposal, it is a good idea to write down your requirements and goals in a clear format that any vendor can understand.

You will most likely get a slew of proposals with varying solutions and budget ranges.  If you don't have an inhouse 'expert' on all things technical, you might consider bringing in a consultant to help you make a decision.  Many times, however, bringing the top 3-4 companies in for interviews will allow you to quickly discover who you have the best chemistry with and who is the most passionate about doing the work you need them to do.

3. Discovery with the Web Development Firm

Just like you did a Discovery process within your organization, it is now time to give the Web Design firm all the information they need to do their jobs.  Even though your Request for Proposal was detailed, make sure you leave no stone unturned.  There are a million ways to interpret some aspects and the sooner you iron out the details the smoother things will go in the Development phase of the project.

4. Design and Content Development

After both parties feel they have all the information they need to proceed with the project, the firm will start both the Graphic and Technical Design of the Web site.  Many times you will work with them on developing content for the site as well, but some times the messaging and  content writing is done inhouse.  

For the Interface and Graphic Design, expect to see a series of initial 'comps' or concepts for the home page and perhaps a few other pages.  This will help you narrow down the overall look and feel of the finished product and you will go through a series of revisions to get things perfect.

For the Technical aspect of the Web site and System, expect to see a specifications document that outlines any functional workflow or database mapping that needs to occur.  If you have internal systems or third-party applications that need to tie into the new Web site, expect to see a more detailed explanation of how those systems will fit together.

There are times when you need to do some initial usability testing with these designs.  Even though the Web site is not functioning or even built at this point, in order to get some feedback on the approach you are about to build, a lot of organizations will do some basic testing with simple screenshots.  This can be very helpful if you are building a complex application that has many possible solutions.

You should expect to sign off on all of these items before you proceed to the next phase of the process.

5. Development of the Web site

After the Design and Content Development is complete, the Web Design and Development company has all that they need to create and build the Web site.  You should expect regular updates on their progress and depending on the length and complexity of the system, there will be a series of test releases, usually named "alpha" and "beta" or something like that.  These releases are not finished products but give you, the client an opportunity to see the work in progress.  It's also an invaluable tool to let you see that everything is on track and according to your original requirements.

6. Testing (Usability and Quality Assurance)

After the "beta"  release of the site, it should be fully-functioning but not yet publicly available.  At this time you might do some usability testing to get some final feedback, though the major changes and development work is behind you at this point.  You are looking for the last few minor issues and graphic or content tweaks at this point.

7. Final Revisions

The final changes are made after testing is complete and the Web site files are readied for a public launch.  Chances are the other marketing initiatives  you've scheduled to coincide with your new Web site launch are ready to go at this point.  All you need to do is say the word "go" and this long yet rewarding process will be complete.

8. Launch

With everything prepared, your Web Design and Development firm, working in conjunction with your IT or Web infrastructure team will move the correct files, databases, third party applications, and everything else that is necessary to publicly launch your Web site to the correct place and your new Web site is now publicly available.  Congratulations!  Your hard work has paid off.

9. Follow up

This seems pretty straightforward, but a follow up or post-game meeting with your vendor is a necessary step in this process.  Figure out what went well during this process and what could be improved for next time.  Chances are you won't do a major release again for another few years, but there will most likely be minor releases and the more you can work together to share information and learn about what works well and what doesn't the better this process will go in the future.

I hope this helps you, and best of luck with your next project.  

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Greg Kihlstrom is Creative Director at Carousel30, a Washington DC Web Design and Development firm.  

Blogs vs. Forums: Taking Control of the Conversation

Blogs and forums both provide a way to get feedback from your customers, and some times you may wonder which is the right fit for you. In this article I'd like to talk about a specific marketing and communications need: providing a focused, consistent message to your user base.

Blogs (or weblogs) generally consist of daily or weekly posts about a specific topic that originates with the owner of the blog, Web site, etc.  These can be very on-topic or some times slightly off-topic, depending on the tone of your blog author.  For instance, 99% of the time you might be responding to the daily news about your industry, but once in a while throw in something a little random that allows your blog readers to glimpse a more human side.  This can be very effective if done carefully.

Forums are usually (not always) a little more free-for-all.  Effective ones generally let members start their own topics and allow other users/members to comment on whatever they decide to post about.  A great use for this is for a software company that allows their users to post issues they have with their products.  Some times all the QA /testing in the world can't bring out some of the bugs or issues that users can find. 

But what happens when you have some important topics that you WANT people to discuss?  What is the best way to control the conversation, and still have allow your visitors and users to be a part of the discussion?

Blogs are really the best option here, because all the posts and thoughts originate with YOU. It doesn't mean you are trying to censor your visitors, it just means that instead of waiting for the perfect forum thread to be started, you are going to start the conversation yourself.  This also sets the tone for the type of interactions that you would like to have with your user base.

The idea of using Blog posts to start conversations is also a good way to avoid the  "Empty Forum." You know you've seen them.  It might have even been on a Web site that you respect on a topic that you're fascinated by.  Some topics on Forums might have a large amount of posts, but then there's some topics started by well-meaning members that just don't get any responses.  Or, you might have started some topics on a Forum of your own and not gotten a single response.

Blogs help your site visitors join in the conversation because it provides a good starting point.  Some times when a user has the option to talk about ANYTHING they want (such as on a blank forum), they actually have a tendency to say nothing.  A good blog post is tied to something current, relevant and even if it doesn't get a lot of comments, it's okay.  There's always tomorrow's post.

So when it comes to taking control of the conversation and providing that consisten message to your users, blogs are a much better option.  Obviously, there are times when a forum is a better choice, but knowing when and where to use each one will help you strengthen your online communications strategy.

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Greg Kihlstrom is Creative Director at Carousel30, a Web Design and Development firm in Washington DC.

iPhone Applications - Why Your Company Needs to Develop One

There's been a lot of news headlines about people making tons of money real quick developing small iPhone applications and then selling them for small amounts of money ($1-2 apiece).  It's a great idea, and one that your company or organization can use to help spread the word about your products, or reach a target audience that can use the iPhone application that you develop.

It's not as simple to design and code an iPhone application as it is to design and develop a Web site but the benefit of making an iPhone app is that you can charge its users and actually make some direct money from its use. 

Here's a few things to keep in mind when you are looking to develop and iPhone application:

Who is the audience and what would appeal to them?
Don't think too complex - the most popular iPhone applications are ones that are very simple and easy to use.
What would be something that your application users would need again and again - they'll be more likely to download and pay for an iPhone application from the Apple App Store if it is something they could picture themselves using a lot.
Think FUN - it doesn't have to be serious, it doesn't have to necessarily enrich people's lives.  People want something a little unique that is fun and rewarding to use.

Good luck.  If you need help finding an iPhone Application Developer, please feel free to contact my company, Carousel30.  We can help you.

Beyond Search Engine Optimization: Your Business in the Larger Online World

Search Engine Optimization is and will continue to be a major way that organizations promote and market their businesses online, but the sooner you begin to see SEO as only one component in the larger online world that now includes the Social Media sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.

Those that catch on quickly and truly understand how everything ties together will begin to pull ahead of those that are solely focusing on SEO.

Until then, it's time to get back to some Search Engine Optimization work.

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Greg Kihlstrom is the Creative Director at Carousel30, a Washington DC Web Design & Development firm

Writing a Request For Proposal for Web site Design & Development

A company that is looking to get bids from several qualified vendors for a Web site design or development project will typically write a Request for Proposal (RFP) and either post it online or send it directly to potential vendors it has identified.

As with any complex project, a Web site design project requires clear communication between the client and web developer in order for the client to receive accurate bids. The RFP serves as a baseline of project requirements on which competing vendors may price their services.

We have outlined a few items below that should typically be in a Website Design and Development Request for Proposal, though some times more information is necessary.

Writing your Request for Proposal

The Request for Proposal (RFP) process allows potential vendors to get an idea of your goals, existing challenges and possible limitations without lengthy phone discussions or in-person meetings. It allows you to succinctly describe exactly what you are looking for and what a potential vendor should expect in the project.

An ideal RFP would clearly specify all the requirements pertaining to your website. It would allow the developer to present you with a proposal based your particular needs and, needless to say, the more details your RFP contains, the more accurate a proposal the developer is able to present.

Components of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Web site Design and Development Project:

Project Background Information

• Brief overview of your organization, including some history and your primary business objectives.
• Description of the project you would like to receive the proposal for.
• If your budget requirements are strict, it might help to include a 'Ballpark' Budget - which developers can use to scope and scale your solution and save you time.
• Anticipated time frame — include any dates that you need the project to meet. Are there crucial meetings and cut-off dates that the developer should be aware of? If you are not sure what the time frame should be, it's okay to see what the proposals you receive recommend and renegotiate. It's also good to anticipate and state how flexible you are with the project's completion date.

Marketing Requirements and Data

• Audience demographics — who will be the main users of your site? Are there several different audiences that need to be addressed?
• User comfort level with technology — how technically savvy is your audience? Will they know how to deal with plug-ins, for example?
• Will users have high-speed connections, or will many be on modems?
• Audience base — how large do you expect your user base to be?

Design and Corporate Branding Requirements

• Do you have corporate identity guidelines that must be followed, including fonts and colors and graphic treatments?
• What look and feel to you envision for the Web site? Include some adjectives to describe what your site should communicate.
• Provide examples of Web sites that relate to the RFP either because they have a similar feel to the one your are looking for, or even examples of what you do NOT want.
• Will there be any animated elements (i.e. Flash animations)? How many? How are they going to be used?

Technical and Infrastructure Requirements

• ISP/hosting considerations. Do you currently have a Web host or are you looking for a new one?
• Browser/platform considerations. Generally speaking, a Web site for consumers should work similarly across all modern browsers and Operating Systems.
• Development platform requirements. Do you require an Open Source solution, are you open to a proprietary solution that is more tailered to your exact needs, etc.
• Active page delivery systems (e.g. ASP.NET, PHP, Java)
• Are there third party applications you'd like to incorporate?

Functionality/programming Requirements

• Will there be forms on the site? If so, how many? How should they be handled? (e.g. e-mailed to recipients, stored in a database, etc.)
• Will the site require tools to manage content/information (e.g. ability for staff to add content such as press releases or quarterly reports)?
• Will there be any e-commerce on the site? If so, who will be entering data on products offered? How will transactions be managed?
• Are there any other interactive features the site should have? What are they, and how do you envision them to work?

Search Engine Optimization

• Describe any currently defined search engine friendly production requirements and expectations
• Indicate if you are seeking SEO/SEM consultation services

Ongoing Site Maintenance Plans

• How often will the site be updated? Are you looking for a retainer situation, or 'on-demand' hourly work?
• Will you be self-maintaining or will you be outsourcing maintenance services?

Project Management

• Who will be the main point of contact on your staff? Keep in mind that in most cases it is easiest to have a single point of contact at both your organization and the company designing and developing your Web site.
• How will the tasks be divided between you and the developer in order to complete the project?
• Are there any third parties (subcontractors, etc.) that will also be involved in the project?

RFP Response Deadline and Contact Information

• When is the response to the RFP due?
• To whom should the response be sent?
• Do you prefer E-mail or hard copies, and if so, how many hard copies?
• Is there a specific solicitation number that needs to be referenced in the Proposal Document?
• What is the RFP review process? How long do you anticipate to take to make your decision before the project can begin?

Some Additional Thoughts Before You Begin:

• For all items listed above, be sure to clearly indicate if you must have any item(s) bid as an optional aspect of the project. Keep in mind possible dependencies between project aspect/components that may make this impractical.
• Before writing your Request For Proposal, determine your budget for the project and, beyond that, your priorities for selecting a Developer who can meet your budgetary requirements.

Writing an RFP is a good exercise for anyone thinking about a site design or redesign as it takes thoughtful planning to specify and construct a website. A well thought out, quality RFP is essential to a successful endeavor because it helps you to focus on your goals and exactly how to achieve them.

To learn more about Carousel30's services please take a look around our site or contact us for more information.