Our Process

What does “7D” mean?  It stands for the seven phases of the web design process.  These phases are often adjusted to meet to specific needs, but the steps mentioned below are a broad outline of what 7D Interactive provides to its clients.

Phase 1: Describe the Project

Why do you need a website?  Make sure you can answer this question clearly and definitively. Creating a good project description often involves:

  • Information gathering
  • Background research
  • Comparison studies
  • Risk and budget analyses
  • Understanding time constraints
  • Determining anticipated maintenance needs (such as updating the site with content)
  • Establishing a target audience and communications goals.

A complete and detailed project description should be approved by all parties at the very beginning of the project. It is during this phase that a single contact and sign-off person on the client-side needs to be firmly agreed upon.

Phase 2: Define the Scope and Plan the Project

This is the planning phase of the project in which all the original information gathered in Phase 1 needs to be re-evaluated and verified. The architecture of the site needs to be developed, and the framework must be built. Sitemaps, flow charts, and wireframes are used to organize preliminary content. Specific features of the site, such as dynamic content, are also determined at this point.

Additionally, a time frame is established for completion of the site which usually includes key milestones for deliverables along the way.

Before proceeding any further, the site architecture and functions, along with the project timeline, must be firmly approved by the client contact. Adherence to the scope defined in this phase of the project will help keep your budget within the agreed-upon limits. Any deviations, especially when features and content are added after the final approval, can result in increases in time and expenditure to complete the site.

Phase 3: Design the Site

After the site architecture has been established and approved, the design process can begin. The designer will work to add visual representation to the thoughts and ideas presented in the first two phases, thus creating a look and feel for the site. This can be based on your current company branding, or it may be completely new based on the needs of the project.

The design of the site will be presented as a series of static mockups and will be as close to the final look of the live site as possible. In this phase, functionality, such as highlighted rollover buttons or an image gallery, is generally either explained verbally or shown via multiple pages in the mockup.

The design process often involves several rounds of client feedback followed by revisions by the designer. It’s important that you communicate any requested changes clearly so that both parties understand the nature of the revisions. The designer will also work with you to help you understand how long revisions will take and whether your requested changes are advisable or sometimes, even whether they are possible.

Once the visual language of the site is approved, work can proceed to Phase 4. Again, note that any changes made to the design after final approval can require additional time and costs to complete.

Phase 4: Develop a Working Site

The development phase encompasses the merging of content with the designed layout. All pages are programmed to include the functions described in Phase 2 and the visuals created by the designer in Phase 3. It’s important to understand that in some cases, the developed site won’t be a perfect, pixel-for-pixel recreation of the static design mockups, but it will be as close as possible using current web programming standards.

During this phase, you will be able to see how the complete site functions and how it interacts with the user. Refinements are made, and all of the content is uploaded. You may develop your own content, but we can also provide the services of a professional copywriter if you prefer.

Phase 5: Debugging and Testing

You’re a professional – and your website should reflect that with an excellent user experience. 7D Interactive has an extensive checklist for website debugging and usability testing that ensures a professional finished product.

Usability testing ensures the site performs at its highest level and meets both the client’s expectations and the users’ needs. We check for everything from HTML tagging bugs to typos to programming errors. This phase may also include formal focus groups, contextual interviewing, or informal audience studies.

Although this phase can actually occur many times throughout the entire design and development process, the most important testing occurs now, after Phase 4 and before launching the site into the public domain.

Phase 6: Deliver and Declare

Once final testing has been completed and the site has been formally approved, it’s time to launch. 7D Interactive will upload the files to your website’s server and provide a final test run to confirm all files have been uploaded and the site is fully functional.

During this phase, 7D Interactive can provide various Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) techniques to increase the visibility of your website. Additionally, 7D Interactive can provide a number of analytical tools to help you keep track of traffic to your website.

Because the web is a passive medium, a website will only achieve maximum visibility and success with a targeted marketing campaign that complements the site development. Ideally, a marketing strategy for your site was developed before launch, to be implemented during this phase. In developing a carefully crafted marketing strategy that will deliver measurable results, some key questions to ask are:

  • Who is the target audience?
  • Why are they coming to your site?
  • What do they want to see when they get there?
  • How will they find your site?

7D Interactive can assist you with marketing strategy if you don’t have your own marketing person or department.

Phase 7: Diversify and Maintain

Once the site has been launched, it may enter a maintenance phase in which either the client or the developer makes any necessary changes or updates. However, because this phase could potentially affect all of the other phases, the issue of maintenance must be addressed at the very start of the project.

If you plan on maintaining the site yourself, 7D Interactive will help you understand how to do so, whether that involves using a content management system (CMS) or having someone at your company familiar with web programming make the updates. Alternatively, we can provide a separate maintenance contract after the site has been completed and launched that will cover all of your needs.