HTML & XHTML: The Complete Reference (Osborne Complete Reference Series)

Building a modern Web site can be challenging, so site builders should adopt a methodology or process model to guide the development process and minimize risk, manage complexity, and generally improve the end result. Software engineering process models such as the waterfall model can easily be applied to most Web projects. Planning during the early stages of a site's development minimizes risk and should improve the end result. A design document that usually includes site goals, audience and task analysis, content requirements, site structure, technical requirements, and management considerations should always be developed. The design document guides the production of the Web site. During the design phase of site production, use wireframes, paper mock-ups, storyboards, and even mock sites to reduce the likelihood of having to redesign the site later on. If a plan is well thought out and the design phase prototypes built, implementation ranging from HTML to JavaScript should proceed rapidly and require little rework . However, once finished, be careful not to rush the site online ”adequate testing is required and markup quality should be treated very seriously. If a poorly crafted site is released, maintenance might be required immediately.