forms for website content/map
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- secoe
like a preformatted word document with blanks to fill, guidelines, etc, for the client to organize content and put down a proper site map.
I've seen grid paper for layout and that kind of stuff for design, but nothing to give the client for content to come to us in a proper, readable/formatted way.
I had no luck googling for it, maybe I am not using the right keywords, I am sure something like that already exists.
- jetSkii0
adobe acrobat - form fields
- secoe0
I was thinking something like that, an existing framework for data collection, like we have for design:
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/…
if I make my own PDF with a couple of forms in using something like a master page can the client then add pages that will carry the same forms?
- vaxorcist0
We did this for clients at one agency and we learned a strange lesson....
I would Have a good talk to client first, get them to really buy into your concepts, layouts, and know where their stuff will go in thier own minds eye....
....or you will find the square pegs/round holes issue where they may try to cram in stuff, and/or ask for LOTS of revisions after the form....
- secoe0
the main goal is trying to make sure that stuff happens before we code it and to press the client in to thinking about real content instead of filling it out on the cms. so we can antecipate any extra design needs.
usually a word doc with an index for site map and a bigger font for page titles is all we get/need, but this is a university/several colleges website and we have several content sources, each has it's own conflicting ideas, etc. etc., so we thought a pre-formatted input document would help them and us.
I am designing a custom one right now, my thinking was "someone must have already done something similar before"
- vaxorcist0
I've been there before, trying to head off the content chaos at the beginning rather than let it ambush you.... and the different unarticulated ideas can be a bit too much fun too....
This all depends on client and client attitude.... it seems some clients hold "the real content" hostage till they get a warm fuzzy feeling, and/or begin to trust your ideas.... and/or remember that University people may be used to a certain autonomy you don't see in corporate communications....
I had to do this custom once, after people rebelled in confusion due to us trying to use a semi-standard form built up from a previous project, I was surprised how some academics could not think abstractly, some wanted to see the exact page layout before they would fill in the form... chicken and egg fun
- University Admin seemed to have antagonized people too, adding to friction factor....vaxorcist
- secoe0
they don't even talk among themselves. we (the hired designers) will collect all the content from their content writers and then send it to their in-house development team.
It's not like they have to know how to make a website but it feels weird teling them what they should write about.
- vaxorcist0
It sounds like a bit of a political minefield.... I would ask if you've been hired after a few previous attempts didn't work out.. and ask what they tried/learned....
Maybe a few examples would really help, in my previous experience, some academics tossed off some writing that had a totally different context/audience than we needed but others totally got it....