Redesign Process

The website redesign process consists of seven sequential phases: 

All websites must have a business and technical owner identified before the project starts.  Read the complete website ownership guidelines

1 - Discovery

Project Kick-off: 1 hour

The website business owner and technical owner meet with the Web Strategies project coordinator (primary point of contact through the redesign process). 

Web Strategies explains the redesign process, web tools and elements available for use on your website, and identifies any special requirements your website may have. After the meeting, Web Strategies project coordinator sends the business owner and technical owner a follow-up e-mail summarizing our discovery meeting and outlining next steps.

Content Strategy (Business Analysis): 1 hour
This is a meeting to look specifically at what you need your website to do for you from a business perspective. Do you need to reach out to new customers or do you need to provide better support for the ones you have? Do you need a way to manage your public relations or do you want to focus on specific marketing campaigns? These decisions help shape what kinds of content should go on your site and help you understand the return for your efforts.

2 - Page Inventory

Page Inventory: 1-4 weeks

The website business owner and technical owner complete the page inventory spreadsheet (Excel template available on the Web Strategies Design Basics webpage). 

Additionally, now is the time to start working with your team to update and write website copy, which should be completed prior to the Content Entry phase.

Please familiarize yourself with OHSU's Visual Identity Guidelines to learn about OHSU's approved standards for website functionality and appearance.

Page Inventory Review: 2-3 days
E-mail your completed page inventory to your Web Strategies project coordinator. Web Strategies reviews it and make recommendations (if applicable). Once finalized, we move on to the Information Architecture phase.

Content Review (Messaging, Search and Accessibility): 1 hour
Web Strategies sets up a 1-hour meeting to look at content you already have developed, how well it fits with your goals as a business, how readable the content is and how well crafted the metadata is for search. We'll also look at how to implement accessiblity for images and links in particular, as well as other kinds of content.

3 - Information Architecture

Information Architecture (IA): 1-4 weeks

Web Strategies completes an IA document for your website. This document translates the contents of the page inventory spreadsheet into a site map and wireframes depicting representative webpage layouts.

IA Review: 1-5 days

Web Strategies sends you a completed IA for your review and approval. Once finalized, we move into the Site Build phase.

4 - Site Build

Web Tools Request: 1 day

After the IA and page inventory are complete, Web Strategies contacts you to confirm the web tools, widgets and configuration for your new site, including analytics, search and shortcuts. 

Site and Template Build: 1-2 weeks

Web Strategies builds out the directory structure of your site including the first page in each directory.  We also configure basic security permissions, web tools and widgets.

Template Handoff Training: 1-2 days before content entry begins

Web Strategies schedules a three to four hour CommonSpot training session for everyone who will be entering and maintaining content. 

5 - Content Entry

Web Strategies has a limited number of staff to cover a high number of website projects. When we commit to a deadline, we are reserving a window in time for your site launch. Delays to content entry mean that your quality assurance testing and subsequent site launch will be delayed.

Enter Content: 2 weeks-3 months
Now that you've completed training, start entering content!  All new pages must be created during the content entry phase. Use the QA Checklist for CommonSpot Authors to optimize your site and speed up Web Strategies' QA.

During the content entry phase, your primary point of contact is the Web Strategies helpdesk. In order of preference, please:
a) use our support form;
b) send an e-mail, or;
c) if urgent, call us at 4-0612

Assets Submitted for Review: 2-4 weeks before QA begins
Send all banner graphics and promo images to Web Strategies for review.

Web Strategies reviews assets for compliance and quality.  Then, we make recommendations or manage the outsourcing to a vendor for corrections.

Quality Assurance (QA): 1-3 weeks
Once you have completed content entry, please contact your Web Strategies project coordinator to let them know you are ready for QA to begin on your site. Web Strategies reviews your site content for compliance with Visual Identity Guidelines and verifies functionality of all custom features. Compliance will include verifying well developed metadata and content accessibility.

Web Strategies uses an Excel spreadsheet to record issues on your site that were fixed or need to be fixed by your team.  If your site is large and you want to start fixing issues early, we can give you access to the site in phases as QA is completed.

Correct Issues: 1-2 weeks
Correct all issues in the QA spreadsheet.  You'll have access to edit content but not create new pages.

Web Strategies Sign-off: 1-3 days
Web Strategies verifies all issues identified during QA are corrected.  

At this point, there are no further edits to the content until after launch.

 

6 - Launch

Final Launch Prep: 4 days, the Thursday-Monday prior to launch
Web Strategies and Web Engineering prepare vanity domains and redirects, continue working on enterprise tool integration such as search and analytics begins and conduct final load-testing.

You'll be able to review, but not edit, content while final preparations are made for launch.

Go/No-Go Meeting: Monday afternoon, the day before launch
Business and technical site owners for your site meet with Web Strategies to give final approval for go-live.

Launch: a pre-scheduled Tuesday
Celebrate! Your new site is live. When our launch tasks are complete, Web Strategies sends you a congratulatory e-mail.

Vanity domains take up to 24 hours to propagate; other types of shortcuts take effect immediately.

On launch day, Web Strategies also updates any old shortcuts and closely monitors server performance.

 

7 - Post-Launch

Authoring Access Restored: 3 days post launch
Three days after your new site has launched, Web Strategies e-mails to notify you of restored access to authoring.

Remove Old Site: within 2 weeks of launch
Within two weeks of the launch of your new site, please remove your old website.  This includes deleting CommonSpot pages and taking old content off the Tier II environment. This site removal step is critical for making your new site "findable" by search engines. Please contact Web Strategies if you require assistance removing old content.