developing a website brief by hannah rudman
DESCRIPTION
Presented by Hannah Rudman at the AmbITion Scotland Partner and Associate organisation networking event 02/11/10. http://getambition.com.TRANSCRIPT
Hannah Rudman
Developing a website brief to put out to tender
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Approach with confidence!
You know what youraudience likes!
You know what you like!
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
It starts with YOU!•Take a step back•Brainstorm •Invite input
•Why have you got a website?•What’s it for?•What does it deliver for our:
community / network / organisation
•Develop a brief
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Establish the success criteria
• Business aims and objectives?
• How will website help meet goals?
• Site aims and objectives?
• Success criteria?
• Sales? Increase time, attention, numbers?
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Develop an overview
• What your org does, for who
• Existing communications channels (incl. wider web presence)
• Current website arrangements
• Timescale for development
• Max budget
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Define your organisation
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Design Specification
• Elements of house style included?
• What is the corporate id? Will website compliment or be different? Why?
• Design to appeal to a specific target audience?
• List the content
• Describe how often content will be updated and who/what by (skills? feeds?)
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Functionality Specification
• Navigation and structure
• Landing page functions
• Consistent functions on all pages
• Specific functions:
• Search, Rss, video, photos, audio, sharing, social networks, newsletter, sitemap
• (Internally: prioritise essentials and wishlist)
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Technical Specification
• OSS CMS
• Optimisation for mobile?
• Systems to integrate - live box office, CRM, stock management
• instantaneous real time? daily?
• What restrictions are required to access databases? what security?
• How often will users access databases?
• In what volumes?
• Misc. (eg. limited access speeds)Tuesday, 2 November 2010
E-commerce/online ticketing
• Products and services
• Payment processes
• Fulfillment details
• How and where T&Cs of purchase are to be displayed
• What systems you use and what language those systems use for data exchange
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
SEO & stats
• Ensure designer understands SEO
• Include your keywords and tags
• List websites you’d ideally like to link to your website
• Do you have Google analytics? Share account with the developer
• What other reports, logs and stats do you want?
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Accessibility & Useability
• Ensure designer understands W3C Web Accessibility Iniative
• Decide which level you would like to comply with
• require that the site is tested by tools such as W3C, Cynthia, NetMechanic
• Say what level of usability testing you will be doing and at what points
• http://resources.getambition.com/3_how-do-i/guides/how-to-be-accessible/
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
The deliverables
• Website itself
• Access to CMS and training
• Documentation
• site architecture map
• CMS instructions
• hosting & database information (u/n & p/w)
• Statement/evidence that website has passed accessibility reqs
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Ownership & T&Cs• Copyright of the content and any bespoke coding
• T&Cs of the website
• User generated content present on the website?
• http://resources.getambition.com/3_how-do-i/web/terms-conditions-for-websites-that-include-user-generated-content/
• T&Cs for website developer
• Payment, consultation levels and project management, process for resolving disputes
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Consents & disclaimers
• Specify what notices and disclaimers your website will need to include
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• http://resources.getambition.com/3_how-do-i/web/privacy-policies-for-website/
• IP property protection and third party licenses and consents
• Company info
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Budget & Timescale
• State maximum budget, or no budget if you want a broad idea of wider market and lots of response
• State timescales of
• Tender process
• interviews, commissioning, notification of non-success
• Full project
• Milestones for delivery, phases
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Advertising the brief
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Interviewing & appointing
• Shortlist: meet as a team, mark against brief
• At interview:
• It’s personal!
• Do they get you? have they understood the success criteria?
• Proven track record? Similar clients?
• Have they challenged or innovated?
• Value for money?
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Working with the designers
• Agree who’s project managing and lines of communication
• Agree who’s hosting? Who’s inputting content?
• Agree milestones, payments, deadlines
• Meet regularly review regularly
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Testing & Revision
• What is to be tested?
• Under what conditions? Volumes?
• Over what period and when?
• Clarify
• who pays for revisions as a result of testing
• what roles and responsibilities are
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Training & Maintenance & Warranties
• Agree levels of training and documentation, and add to project plan
• Agree maintenance services
• What warranties?
• due skill and care (take references)
• designers own work, granted on perpetual license
• IP consent for materials used on site by designers
• Bug fixing periods
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Tuesday, 2 November 2010