"Redesigning a website is like remodeling a kitchen - you must figure out what features and capabilities you need and how you will use them before you design your layout, place appliances and plugs, and select tiles, curtains and countertops." -- Web Redesign 2.0

Good web design requires a solid site architecture based on the site's goals and target audience established in the project brief. The deliverables from this phase are: Content Outline, Site Diagram, Page Description Diagrams, and Wireframes. These four deliverables are dependent on each other and need to be completed sequentially.

Step 1: Content Outline - Working closely with our clients, we create a list of all existing content. Brainstorm content that needs to be created for the site. Review the list of content, trimming anything that does not match the goals or audience needs as stated in the project brief. Take time to think about the future and how the site content might need to grow. Next group your content into categories. Once your categories are established, create an outline of your content and review it with our clients for accuracy.

Step 2: Site Diagram -Take your final content outline and create a sitemap or site diagram. A site diagram is just a visual representation of your content outline and site structure.

Step 3: Page Description Diagrams - Clarifies all content for a given page clarifies the priority of each chunk of content completely removes visual design (color, font, placement) from this stage of the conversation.

Step 4: Wireframe - A wireframe is a non-graphical layout of a web page. It is a simple drawing of the chunks of information and functionality for each page in your site. You will want to create a wireframe for the home page, each unique second level page and any other significantly different page on the site. Wireframes include the containers for all the major elements of the page. Elements include navigation, images, content, functional elements (like search) and footer.