Steps of a redesign

Overview
Goals
Time estimate and team
Content review
Site structure and navigation
Finalize timeline and content
Visual design development
Production and proofing
Launch and maintenance

Step-by-step: how to make a sitemap

Create a content overview

Look at all your content at once. If your site is large, it may be easiest to do this by representing each page of your site with an index card (with the topic of each page written on a separate card), and laying all those cards out on a big table.

Keep your focus on the audience

Keeping in mind who your users are and what information they need from your site, start grouping the information (cards) so your users will find what they need as simply as possible. Here's where you'll be tempted to fall back on your organizational chart -- but it's critical that you don't.

Example: on this web site, we've put campus fact sheets (statistics, rankings, etc.) in "Campus Facts" instead of under the office that maintains them (Creative Services). This type of organization is critical, because if your users can't find the information they need with just a couple of clicks, they'll assume you don't have it, and they'll leave.

Use your research

Because you've done your site survey and focus-group testing, you know what content your audience is looking for. The information they'll use most should be only one or two clicks away from the homepage.

As you work on your content categories, odds are you'll find yourself creating new categories and deleting and merging some old ones.Take your time here. If you rush the foundation of the site, you're likely to waste a lot of time later revising your structure and reworking web pages to accomodate those changes.

Create "big buckets"

Keep your categories broad and leave room for growth. When you're finished, your categories should be able to accomodate next year's content, staff, and departmental changes.

Example: our "Communicator's Calendar" could cover training, workshops, meetings, presentations on- or off-campus, and events. Calling it "Communicator's Calendar" instead of "Workshop Schedule" means we can cover anything that has a date on it, alleviating the need for "Workshops," "Training," "Brown-bags," "Presentations," and "Special Events" categories.

Put it on paper

You can create your sitemap with a software program (some developers prefer Visio) or with paper and pencil. It doesn't matter how you create the map, as long as it's clear to you and your team.

 

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Have questions or materials you'd like to share? E-mail Michele Plante.