Consultancy and analysis
Our first priority is establishing our clients' exact requirements by an ongoing process of consultancy, systems analysis and design.
It's vital that we establish exactly what your website, intranet or extranet will do for you and your users at the earliest possible stage. In effect, there are three stages to this process: consultancy, systems analysis and design.
Consultancy
As part of our initial consultancy, we will discuss your requirements - with a minimum of jargon - before proceeding to the next step. But consultancy is all about communication - as such, it is an ongoing process. Corrections and opportunities for website enhancements can occur at every stage, so clear and continual feedback is essential when building a website.
Besides consulting for whole systems and websites, we are happy to consider the specifics of existing systems and have frequently advised on providing enhancements, from the creation of a content management system for a site that has been manually updated in the past, to 'plug-ins' like site search facilities or forums. Where it is cost-effective, we are content to recommend off-the-shelf third-party solutions rather than more expensive bespoke software.
Systems analysis
The next step is to analyse the system requirements. 'Systems analysis' is a data processing term that is not much in vogue in the 'new media' world, but we are firm believers in the need for it. For it is only with at least some degree of analysis that the complexity of the final website or system can be established. And it is only then that the all-important costing for the website can be arrived at.
Albedo Systems does not charge, as some less mature web companies do, per page or per graphic. We arrive at a costing for the system as a whole, having found that fixed prices do not do either clients or site creators justice. To do this we create a system specification that will allow an assessment of the programmer and designer time needed.
Although it may be more or less detailed (some sites are fairly standard and do not require much analysis in depth), this document will need to receive assent by both parties before site construction may begin.
System design
This stage of site creation will be invisible to the client or end user. As such it needs only a brief mention. But it is essential background work. In essence, it consists of fleshing out the systems specification, which should contain the essence of the design, in greater detail. It requires greater liaison between the analyst and the visual designers and coders than analysis. But in some cases this step may be minimal, most of the spadework having been done at the analysis stage.
Once these phases have been negotiated, then web design and engineering proper can begin...
