Stage 1: Assessment

The first step was to look at their existing website and assess where it needed to change, as well as which parts could be preserved. The original design was relatively clean and uncluttered, but was not particularly eye-catching, in addition to feeling outdated. The balance of the homepage was not ideal, with logos of associates taking up a large amount of space at the bottom, and a reflection of the earlier narrow screen resolutions commonly in use a few years ago was obvious in the cramped feel.

Stage 2: Redesign

FNTC were very helpful in giving us clear directions as to the feel they wanted the site to create, as well as specifics like colours, images and fonts. With this in mind we progressed from a wire-frame (a pencil sketch of the layout with the major elements in place) to create a bare-bones outline of what the site would look like. From these early sketches, we were able to get an idea of what worked, and what didn’t. From there we proceeded to full-scale Photoshop mock-ups. One important factor in this stage was deciding on the information architecture, i.e. how users would get around the site. We were able to simplify FNTC’s existing navigation while at the same time providing more useful information to the user.

Stage 3: Implementation

From the Photoshop proofs we discussed the design as a whole with FNTC, resulting in several changes to create a format they were happy with, and one that they felt reflected the aims they set out to achieve in the redesign. One way of presenting a larger amount of information on one page without overwhelming the user with text was to split such data into sections, revealed by a sliding navigation within the same page. With some icons and stock images to finish the design, the finished result left FNTC very happy, and left us feeling that we had fulfilled exactly the mandate given to us in the reworking of the site.

Visit the FNTC Training website.

When the Net first came online back in the 1990s, I was struck by the wonderful nature of the openness. It didn’t matter whether you were a big software company or a bed and breakfast owner, everyone had equal access. And ultimately this still rings true today.

The Net is a wonderful place to be, and everyone can join in. Indeed, it is my belief that every business must have a presence, and the importance will only become more pressing over time.

With over ten years of experience on the Net, it is our passion to help anyone that wants to create a site and get themselves noticed.

Over the next few blog posts I’ll outline ways that you can do this by yourself, and also reasons why you might like to use our services. We are not about the hard sell but more about the wonder of the wonderful Net.