We had several versions of a website and every the new website development was extemporaneous. It means we always rush with deploy new version to productions, as a result, we have patchy design and not very good code.
I want to prevent a situation like that in future and for that, I provide below my vision of the website development process in several steps (short description):
- Define website goals. Research current website issue, design bugs, create a list of feature requests.
- Create page prototypes, visual sitemap, with requirements and detailed vision of every website page.
- Approve prototypes latest version.
- Create website design in several steps:
- Choose Fonts, Colors.
- Create styles guide with base elements (buttons, colors, fonts, text samples, base widgets etc.).
- Approve style guide by marketing Team.
- Create base pages like Home, About Us etc.
- Create a style guide for WordPress posts and all native post redactor elements.
- Approve the latest version of the design.
- Start the website development:
- Migrate data from a legacy website, clear data.
- Implement basic modules, plugins, create boilerplate website solution.
- Implement the style guide.
- Develop basic pages.
- Develop blog pages.
- Deploy Code to Stage.
- Testing.
- Feature requests, fixes, the website updates.
- Deploy to Production.
Define website goals
The first thing which we should investigate next question before start develops a website and It's must be documented, because of anyone from the team should understand what we do and have a chance to investigate.
Goals which we should define before start:
- Why we create a new website, what's wrong with a current?
- Create a list of feature requests like new pages, post types, modules, integrations.
- Create Visual sitemap.
- Describe all pages with requirements.
Document Examples:
- Visual sitemap
- Feature request.
- Page requirements.
Prototypes, sitemap
1. Create Sitemap.
2. Create pages prototypes, content text and describe pages.
3. Describe requirments for page admin site, editing.