Introducing Dreamweaver MX

1
lecture 2
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Topics that will be covered

• Introducing Dreamweaver MX
• Defining a Site
• Relative Absolute Links
• File Folder Management
• Understanding Path Structure
• Using the File Browser
• Creating a Site Map
• Creating a Site from Nothing
• The Process of building a Site
• Site definition and planning
• Information architecture
• Site design
• Site construction
• Site marketing
• Tracking, evaluation, and maintenance
• Quiz 1

3
Defining a Site

• We will open a Site in Dreamweaver and define
  its source

4
Relative Absolute Links

• Relative links
• Relative links reference files that are part of
  your site
• Absolute links
• Absolute links reference to files that are
  outside of your site folder
• (See the example from the practice section of
  this lecture)

5
File Folder Management

• We will create a new folder inside the root
  folder and move some files around to see how
  Dreamweaver updates the links.
• (See the example from
• the practice section
• of this lecture)

6
Understanding Path Structure

• We will look at the structure of the folders and
  how links work.

7
Using the File Browser

• We will add a folder to the existing root folder
  and place two pictures in two different pages.

8
Creating a Site Map

• We will make Deamweaver MX create a site map that
  will allow us to visually see the way the
  complete site is going to be linked from page to
  page.

9
Creating a Site from Nothing

• We will create a site from nothing. This will be
  your first step in creating your own web site.
• (Please let me know if you want me to go over
  anything again.)

10
The Process of building a Site

• Site definition and planning
• Information architecture
• Site design
• Site construction
• Site marketing
• Tracking, evaluation, and maintenance

11
Site definition and planning

• This initial stage is where you define your goals
  and objectives for the web site and begin to
  collect and analyze the information youll need
  to justify the budget and resources required.
• This is also time to
• define the scope of the site content
• interactive functionality
• technology support required
• The depth and breath of information resources
  that you will need to fill out the site.
• This section is composed of the following parts
• Production
• Technology
• Web server support
• Budgeting
• Appointing a site editor

Stage 1
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Site definition and planning

• Production
• Will your site production team be composed of
  in-house people, outside contractors, or a mix of
  the two?
• Who will manage the process?
• Who are your primary content experts?
• Who will be the liaison to any outside
  contractors?
• Who will function long-term as the Webmaster or
  senior site editor?

Stage 1
13
Site definition and planning

• Technology
• What browsers and operating systems should your
  site support?
• Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, Linux
• Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer minimum
  version supported
• Network bandwidth of average site visitors
• Internal audience or largely external audience?
• Ethernet or high-speed connections typical of
  corporate offices
• ISDN, or DSL medium-speed connections typical of
  suburban homes
• Modem connections for rural, international, or
  poorer audiences

Stage 1
14
Site definition and planning

• Dynamic HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and
  advanced features?
• JavaScript or vbscript required
• Java applets required
• Style sheets required
• Third-party browser plug-ins required
• Special features of the UNIX or NT server
  environments required
• Special security or confidentiality features
  required
• How will readers reach the support personnel?
• Email messages from readers
• Chat rooms, forums, help desks, or phone support

Stage 1
15
Site definition and planning

• Database support?
• User log-ins required to enter any site areas?
• Questionnaires required?
• Search and retrieval from databases needed?
• Audiovisual content
• Video or audio productions?

Stage 1
16
Site definition and planning

• Web server support
• In-house Web server or outsourced to Internet
  Service Provider (ISP)?
• Unique domain names available
• Disk space or site traffic limitations or extra
  costs
• Adequate capacity to meet site traffic demands?
• Twenty-four-hour, seven-days-a-week support and
  maintenance?
• Statistics on users and site traffic?
• Server log analysis in-house or outsourced?
• Search engine suitable for your content?
• CGI (Common Gateway Interface), programming, and
  database middleware support available?
• Database support or coordination with in-house
  staff?

Stage 1
17
Site definition and planning

• Budgeting
• Salaries and benefits for short-term development
  staff and long-term editorial and support staff
• Hardware and software for in-house development
  team members
• Staff training in Web use, database, Web
  marketing, and Web design
• Outsourcing fees
• Site design and development
• Technical consulting
• Database development
• Site marketing

Stage 1
18
Site definition and planning

• Budgeting
• Ongoing personnel support for site
• Site editor or Webmaster
• Ongoing server and technical support
• Database maintenance and support
• New content development and updating

Stage 1
19
Site definition and planning

• Appointing a site editor
• A site that is "everyone's responsibility" can
  quickly become an orphan.
• To maintain consistent editorial, graphic design,
  and management policies you'll also need one
  person to act as the editor of the overall Web
  site.
• the site editor may choose to edit pages after
  they are created and posted to avoid becoming a
  bottleneck in the communications process.

Stage 1
20
Information architecture

• At this stage you need to detail the content and
  organization of the Web site. The team should
  inventory all existing content, describe what new
  content is required, and define the
  organizational structure of the site.
• Once a content architecture has been sketched
  out, you should build small prototypes of parts
  of the site to test what it feels like to move
  around within the design.
• The key to good prototyping is flexibility early
  on

Stage 2
21
Information architecture

• Typical results or contract deliverables at the
  end of this stage could include
• Detailed site design specification
• Detailed description of site content
• Site maps, thumbnails, outlines, table of
  contents
• Detailed technical support specification
• Browser technology supported
• Connection speed supported
• Web server and server resources
• technology to support specific features of the
  site
• A schedule for implementing the site design and
  construction
• One or more site prototypes of multiple pages
• Multiple graphic design and interface design
  sketches or roughs

Stage 2
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Site design

• At this stage the project acquires its look and
  feel. The page grid, page design, and overall
  graphic design standards must be created and
  approved.
• The illustrations, photography, and other graphic
  or audiovisual content for the site need to be
  commissioned and created. Research, writing,
  organizing, assembling, and editing the site's
  text content is also performed at this stage.
• The goal is to produce all the content components
  and functional programming and have them ready
  for the final production stage the construction
  of the actual Web site pages.

Stage 3
23
Site construction
Only at this mature stage of the project are the
bulk of the site's Web pages constructed and
filled out with content. By waiting until you
have a detailed site architecture, you will
minimize the redundant development efforts, and
wasted energy that results from rushing to create
pages too soon.
Stage 4
24
Site construction

• Typical products or contract deliverables at the
  end of this stage should include
• Finished HTML for all Web pages, all page content
  in place
• Finished navigation link structure
• All programming in place and linked to pages,
  ready for beta testing
• All database components in place and linked to
  site pages
• All graphic design, illustration, and photography
  in place
• Final proofreading of all site content
• Detailed testing of database and programming
  functionality
• Testing and verification of database reporting
  features
• Testing of site reader support procedures,
  answering email, etc.
• Archives of all site content components, HTML
  code, programming code, and any other site
  development materials

Stage 4
25
Site marketing

• Your Web site should be an integral part of all
  marketing campaigns and corporate communications
  programs
• The URL for your site should appear on every
  piece of correspondence and marketing collateral
  your organization generates.
• Publicize your URL where local residents or
  businesses will encounter it. Local libraries
  (and schools, where the content is relevant) are
  often the key to publicizing a new Web site
  within a localized geographic area.

Stage 5
26
Site marketing

• Your home page URL should appear in all
• Print advertisements
• Radio and television advertisements
• Lobby kiosks in high-traffic areas of your
  enterprise or in local libraries, schools, or
  other suitable venues
• Direct mail campaigns
• Business cards
• Stationery
• Bills and statements
• Product manuals and product packaging
• Response cards and warrantee cards
• Publications and promotional materials
• Press releases
• Posters and billboards

Stage 5
27
Tracking, evaluation, and maintenance
An abundance of information about visitors to
your site can be recorded with your Web server
software. Even the simplest site logs track
how many people (unique visitors) saw your site
over a given time, how many pages were requested
for viewing, and many other variables. By
analyzing the server logs for your Web site you
can develop quantitative data on the success of
your site.
Stage 6