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Web Design and Re-development - My Personal Journey

Introduction to my web development

Whilst there will always be ongoing updates and refinements, I completed my first major reconstruction of the Derek Stockley web site in early January 2002. My second major re-development was completed in January 2003. This reflects my commitment to continuous improvement. The site was revamped again for a relaunch at a new web page address in July 2003

As my business changes and grows, and as the internet and e-commerce world continues to develop, I do expect further major reconstructions in the future.

The first major reconstruction was necessitated by the introduction of various e-learning products. The second re-development was a site upgrade to improve the overall appearance of the site and to facilitate further development.

Although re-structuring was necessary, the major focus of the first re-development was the overall design and "feel" of the web site. Although many different design features were trialled and experimented with, the finished result was basically an enhancement (I believe) of the original design. The overall look and feel was substantially retained. For the second re-write, changes to the appearance were made. Ease of navigation was enhanced. These changes are explained in later sections.

Whilst I spent many hours reviewing the design, including many hours visiting sites of leaders in the field, the difference is only marginal. This is because I believe (in all modesty) that the original design was ideal for its original purpose. That purpose was the promotion of my training and consulting business. This was true for the second major review as well, although the continual improvements have made the site look "more professional" (I hope!).

Changes and Benefits

The major changes from both re-developments that are visible to you are:

- better navigation - use of navigation bars and up, down," next" and "previous" arrows as well as different colors for the various link types. For a fuller description, see: Navigation Page.

- use of yellow column on the right to highlight content in each major content page - this page is an example.

The major changes that are not visible, i.e. the changes contained in the HTML code, are:

First re-development

- the use of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to control the display characteristics of the text fonts and appearance;

- the use of "tables" in each page for the first time, as the previous design relied on "frames" exclusively;

- better and more accurate HTML coding;

- more individualised META tag titles and descriptions for each page;

- the use of JavaScript to "include" repeated information.

Note: if these terms are not familar to you, see the next section of this E-journey: HTML and programming languages for an explanation. (This opens a new window. Please close it to return to this point.)

Second re-development

- much greater use of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to control the display characteristics of the text fonts and appearance;

- conversion of HTML coding to XHTML, including where possible, conformance to standards;

- more use of "titles" and JavaScript "mouseovers" on important links;

- much greater use of JavaScript to "include" repeated and "standard" information.

- greater attention to ensure that all pages are "search engine friendly". This is explained later. For SEO training, I now recommend Search Engine Marketing Courses offered by the Search Engine College.

These programming changes have the following benefits:

- Use of the CSS simplified the HTML code for each page dramatically. Prior to the first redevelopment, I previously used two different fonts (type faces) which meant the inclusion of instructions for each heading and paragraph. In the first redevelopment, deletion of the excessive code was time consuming but satisfying. The HTML was now much easier to read, understand and edit. It was easier to change the template for each page.

- Frames can be complicated. Tables facilitated the three column design. They are also preferred by most experts. See: The Decision to Use Frames

- The META tags are more targeted, which may help search engines better index the site. This varies between search engines - some do not use the key word META tag - I still do. (See later discussion).

- For the first re-write, I used JavaScript to include repeated content. For example, I had one file for the identity information (Name, address, phone, etc.). On each page I "included" this content. It enabled all pages to be simply updated if any detail changed. This concept has been extended in the second development. I use them wherever I can.

These issues are all covered in greater detail in the later sections.

My personal thoughts on website design issues

I think many commercial web sites are too complicated, although there has been a recent improvement. I find many hard to read and navigate. Many of you reading this page may have made the decision to streamline and improve your web site or individual pages,

In training and management circles, there is an old acronym: K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid). I believe this is a very good rule for all web design and web pages.

The advice I try to follow is:

- Content is the most important aspect of a web site. The information provided must be beneficial and meaningful to the user.

- The content provided must be easy to find and utilise.

- The appearance of the site must be pleasant.

- If it is a business site, the site should reflect the culture and professionalism of the business or organisation. Appearance affects the users acceptance and trust of the information being provided.

Read on to discover what my experiences have taught me. Learn from my mistakes and achievements.

Most importantly, have fun.

What's next?

If you operate a business or an organisation and you are considering using external assistance in developing or re-developing a web site, please select: Web Assistance. If you are specifically interested in maximising your prescence in search engines with outside assistance, select Search Engine Optimisation.

This page is part of a comprehensive e-journey about web design and re-design. If you do not see the colored contents section on the left of this page, select: Web Design/Re-design Course to gain an overview.

If you need additional help, see web books for additional resources that assist in the web development and redevelopment process.

If you have not considered Service Provider and Hosting Issues yet, and you now wish to, select: Service Provider and Hosting Issues.

If you want to skip hosting issues, and go to the key information on Building and/or Re-building a Website, select the section: Learning HTML and Other Programming Languages.

Alternatively, if you are now ready to consider some of the key design issues, see: Web Design and Related Issues.

To return to the index of this E-journey, see: Web Design and Construction - Road Map.

To return to the Derek Stockley Home Page: Derek Stockley Home Page.