Web design rules for PR

45 rules of web development for PR people(AKA how not to annoy and

destroy your developers,

alienate designers and look

stupid in front of clients).

Don’t assume anything.

Know your DNS from your IP address (there

are some terms you just gotta know)

Know the basic first questions to ask. The same

each time. First is always why? Then audience,

hosting, access, tech, deadlines, budget…

Learn how to write a brief. And fast. Your career

depends on how well you can brief people.

Start with the user. Always. You don’t

personally need to be an expert in UX but you

always start there.

Few digital projects are the same. Designers

and developers are sometimes as new to this

as you are.

Adapt the planning process to fit the

individual campaign. Figure out early what is

going to be less painful and more productive.

Plan around the deliverables but don’t

forget basics like holidays, meetings,

courses, client events…

A solid project plan is important but don’t

assume everything will go as planned. It

won’t. Ever.

Be clear when it needs to go live. Then

be clear when it REALLY needs to go

live

Think about metrics before you start and

when you’re building, not afterwards.

Check your team capacity at every stage

of the process. Have back-ups.

A wireframe is a site framework, not an

accurate technical drawing or design.

With responsive design and parallax/scrolling

sites, there is no longer a “fold” to be below.

Understand colours and fonts and how

they work on the web vs. in print.

Think about measurement across all channels.

Edits cost money, build in sufficient rounds or

your margin will walk out of the door before

your designs are signed off.

IE8 and below are closer to an etch-a-sketch

than a browser.

Always view mockups at full size.

Build in double the time you think you’ll

need for edits and approvals.

Assume content will be late and factor in

appropriately.

Inches and centimetres have no place or

meaning on screen (e.g. don’t ask to 'nudge a

logo up a few mm’)

Always be aware of responsive viewing

on different devices.

Know what your team’s capabilities are –

assign clear ownership, especially when

multiple agencies involved.

Get it in writing – no backtracking allowed!

Forget traditional typesetting (at least in

terms of body content).

• Know your devices and their limitations

• Know your browsers and their limitations

• Know your audience and their limitations

Your PR client probably hasn't got overall

sign off without input from brand, legal, IT

etc. Check this at the outset.

If it comes back without changes, the

right person hasn’t seen it yet.

Good developers are very hard to find.

Handle with care in the main, kick ass only if

occasionally necessary.

Designers and developers don't work 24/7.

Unless your support contract specifies it.

Know when to push back on your client and

when to push back on your developers. Use

both wisely and don’t confuse the two.

It's perfectly fine to say "no" or “not in

time for launch” if there genuinely isn’t

the time to do something well.

When timelines slip or launch

approaches, build a 'real world' list rather

than a 'wish list' and prioritise accordingly

Things can, do and always will go wrong;

have alternative suppliers in case you

need them for support.

No matter how much you test, there will

always be someone somewhere who

can’t get the thing to work.

DNS propagation can take up to and

even beyond 48hours. Not everything

online is immediate.

Video and animation takes forever to

render and upload. Changes cost money

and take time, it’s not Microsoft Word.

If timescales slip on the client side,

suggest launching in phases.

Remember that your devs and designers do

have lives of their own….

Check and double check the SEO plans

and agreements for the project, if any.

Invest as much time/money/thought/effort

into promoting it as you do building it.

Learn each time. And keep learning. And

learn from your mistakes.

Beware of knowing a bit and becoming an

expert. You’re not. You’re learning.

When it is a web build, it is never

final. Ever.

NEXTwhat’s

This was crowdsourced from our design and dev teams

by Becky McMichael, Ruder Finn

bmcmichael@ruderfinn.co.uk

@beckymcmichael

+44 (0) 7788 421165

*images taken from Flickr and used under CC