from design to program - process?
Out of context: Reply #9
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As a full time front- and back-end developer with design experience I think I can speak to this.
Firstly, I REALLY don't like building static HTML and CSS if the end product is going to be dynamic. Seems like a wasted step to me, especially if the HTML is going to be generated and spit out by a CMS like Drupal where there are existing conventions for class names and the like. If you need a partially working prototype, just export slices from the graphics program.
Anyway, to the point at hand, I don't really care what format the designer is giving me so long as the PSD/AI layers are organized and logically named (layer comps are your friend). I don't need all sub-pages provided to me so long as there is some supporting documentation outlining any differences. Same goes for copy. My machine is getting old and I don't want the hassle of a giant mockup.
Furthermore, hover states or other such events are good to see as well. Oh, and all vector objects need to be pixel perfect: X and Y points and height and width values should be exactly on pixels so there's no unnecessary aliasing. It's a silly little thing, but it's annoying.
A sitemap is great to have. Many times I'll put the shell of a site together, toss in some lorem ipsum, then get to the business of skinning it.