Web
Development Life Cycle
Any
software development project, a methodology should be followed to ensure
project consistency and completeness.
The
Web development life cycle includes the following phases: planning,
analysis, design and development, testing,
and implementation and maintenance.
Web
Development Phases and Questions |
|
Web development phase |
Questions
to ask |
Planning |
|
Analysis |
|
Design
and development |
|
Testing |
|
Implementation
and Maintenance |
|
Involves
the identification of the Web site goals or purpose. The question to ask is:
What is the purpose of this Web site?
In
addition to understanding the Web site purpose, you should also ask: Who will
use the Website? or knowing the target audience in terms of: age, gender,
computer literacy, etc.
Understanding
the computing environment will allow the designer to know what type of
Technologies to use.
The
last question is to ask who will provide the information included in the Web
site.
During
this phase, the Web designer needs to make decisions about the Web site content
and functionality.
It
includes a detailed analysis of the content of the Website in terms information
covered, processing required, etc.
After,
the purpose of the Website has been found and the content has been defined, we
need to organize the content of the Website.
Many ways to organize the Website exists. Here are some general
pointers:
Elements
|
Purpose |
Titles |
Use simple titles that clearly explain the purpose of the
page |
Headings |
Use Headings to separate main topics |
Horizontal
rules |
Use horizontal rules to separate main topics |
Paragraphs |
Use paragraphs to help divide large amount of data |
Lists |
Utilize list. Numbered or bullet when appropriate |
Page
length |
Maintain suitable Web page lengths; about one or two pages
are adequate |
Information |
Emphasize the most important information by placing it at
the top of a Web page |
Other |
·
Incorporate a contact e-mail address ·
Include the date of the last modification |
Websites
are designed using any of several different types of layouts, including linear,
hierarchical, and Webbed. Each layout links, or connects, the Web pages in a
different structure to define how users navigate through the site and view the
Web pages. You should select a layout for your Web site based on how users will
most easily navigate through the site to complete tasks and view the Web site
contents.
A linear
Web site layout connects Web pages in a straight line. A linear Web site layout connects Web pages
in a straight line. A linear Web is
appropriate if the information on the Web pages should be read in a specific
order.
Linear
Web Site Layout
A hierarchical
Web site layout connects Web pages in a tree-like structure. A hierarchical Web site layout works well on
a site with a main index or table of contents page that links to all other Web
pages. With this layout, the main index page would display general information
and secondary pages include information that is more detailed.
A Webbed
Web site layout has no set structure. A Webbed Web site layout works best on
Web sites with information that does not need to be read in a specific order
and with many navigation options that users can select.
Most
Web sites are a combination of the linear, hierarchical and Webbed
layouts. Some of information on the Web
site might be organized hierarchically from an index page; other information
might be accessible from all areas of the site while other information might be
organized linearly to be read in a specific order.
Using
a combination of the three layouts is appropriate, if it helps users navigate
through the site easily.
During
the design and development phase, you should also consider what types of
multimedia could contribute positively to the Web site experience.
Types
of multimedia are graphics, photos, video and audio.
A
Web site should be tested at various stages of the Web design and development.
This testing should include a review of page content, functionality and
usability. Some basic steps to test
content and functionality are:
Usability is the measure of how well product, allows
users to accomplish their goals. Usability testing is a method by which users
of a Web site are asked to perform certain tasks in an effort to measure the
ease of use of the product.
Once the Web site testing is complete and any
required changes have been made, the Web site can be implemented. Implementation of a Web site means
publishing the Web site or uploading it into a Web server.
Once, the Web site has been implemented, its
maintenance will include updating the information content by removing the
outdated one and putting in the new one.
Periodical checking of the links is also necessary
to ensure that they are still active.
Finally, Website monitoring is another key aspect of
maintenance. Usually, the Web servers that host the Web sites keep logs about
Web site usage.
A log is the file that lists all the Web
pages that have been requested from the Web site.
Analyzing the logs allows you to determine the
number of visitors to your site and the browser types and versions they are
using, as well as their connection speeds, most commonly requested pages.
Internet cookies are very small files that are downloaded
from a Web server to a Web browser. Cookies are embedded in the HTML code
related to downloading requested pages from a Web site.
When a Web browser first asks for a file from a Web
server, the server creates a cookie containing information about the request
and sends the cookie to the browser along with the requested file.
The next time a request is made from the browser to
the server, the cookie is sent to the server along with the request. When the
server returns the requested file, an updated cookie is also returned.