investigation
overall requirements
To conclude the thorough investigation into the PSD web site requirements I have summarised my overall findings and created a clear list of goals to achieve. This list will be 'signed off' by the partners, only then will I commence design.
purpose of site
The main purpose of the site is to establish PSD's company image and give them a 'presence' on the internet. The partners do not want an ordinary undistinguished company image, they want to provide a 'professional yet personal' approach to business and want the web site to reflect this. They feel that by possessing a web site they will then have a platform to advertise products and publish news in a creative manner.
the target audience
The partners would love to see international investors and large organisations make contact with them through the site and so they are the main target audience. However even with the emphasis on larger groups they still have a couple of products for individuals and smaller clusters of people. John Kern even states that it should be for "anyone who wishes to find out more about who we are and what we are up to."
features that must be included
The partners have provided me with the company logo that must be included in every page of the web site in the top-left corner. It is also essential to have a crisp and clean navigational system that will indicate to the user where he or she is currently located within the web site. All pages must conform the W3C web standards and be easily accessible to all internet users - including those who use text only browsers and screen readers.
The site's colour scheme will reflect the company's logo. The colour range will be red, black and white. There must be a consistent corporate look and feel to the whole of the site.
how users will access the site
According the to the evidence presented to me by the survey, most users will be using Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer to access the site - so it must render well when they are used. Nevertheless PSD demands that it works amicably in all browsers and on all operating systems.
the information that must be provided
There must be the following pages in the web site:
- About
- Bios
- Products
- Contact us
- Site map
- Home
News updates will be on the home page, the section will be called: What's in the pipeline? The bios will contain personal information about the PSD partners themselves along with a snapshot of each partner. The about page will include general information and some case studies and comments from existing customers.
the user interaction that is required
The only user interaction required is reading, typing and clicking on hyperlinks. Simple.
visitor information to be collected
The 'contact us' page will have a form that will ask for the name, email address and position of the contact, the company name, address and telephone number and the area of interest. This will submitted using PHP when the website is uploaded to the web server.
plans for maintaining/updating the site once it is up and running
Ryan Townsend is familiar with HTML and Macromedia Dreamweaver. He will be able to perform content updates using these means via FTP.
security and legal requirements
Because the website will be collecting a small amount of personal information - Pipeline Software Development will have to adhere to the Data Protection Act 1998. To do this they will be destroying all collected information after it has been used.
list of main goals
- Establish the company image ~ 'Professional yet personal'
- Entice global investors and large organisations
- Advertise products and publish company news
- Ensure that all the information on the site is accessible to all
proof of client agreement:
I now have sufficient information and permission to begin the design stage of the project cycle.
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