Prior to the actual construction of your website application or consumer side e-commerce site, we generally recommend the creation of a specification. This document will outline the structure and organization of your website, as well as the information and content on each individual page. The benefit our clients receive from having the specification is in direct proportion to the size and complexity of their project. It is critical for sites with potentially thousands of resources (photos, PDF's, movies, etc.) and numerous components, to be as well thought out as possible from the outset. The specification will be your assurance that we have done our homework.

The specification is actually the most meticulous phase in our 6-point workflow process, yet once complete, we have a clear and demonstrable blueprint for construction. The specification allows us to inform you of any materials that need to be collected or written. Once all assets are collected, created or accounted for, we can create a timeline and flowchart for production.

Our designers also depend on the specification to tell them what content to include on a given page, as well as what content requires designing. As this point, the design team can also determine the best use of Flash to communicate the information on your website. Specification takes the guess work out of the entire design process, allowing for both efficiency and accountability.
With large, complex projects it is not always possible to anticipate every conceivable issue. More often than not, once our clients are able to interact with their system they come up with even more ideas and want the sites functionality extended. Yet the specification allows us to catch as many issues/concerns as possible before we start the project.

Most projects are divided into phases, or subprojects. Once a specification is completed for each subproject, we provide you with several copies of the document. This completed specification will be used as a basis for all further discussion. The document will contain a budget estimate for each phase of your project. Once a budget is defined and the project is specified, actual construction can begin.

It is important to point out that the specification remains a flexible, evolving document. Finality is not reached until the client is in total agreement with the conclusions drawn and explained within the document. It is then and only then, that we proceed with the construction phase of the project. The bullet points below give a brief overview of the specification process.

• Definition of the Problem
• Creation of a Solution(s)
• What Materials are Needed?
• Create Flowchart of Production

• Suggest Timeline
• Phases-Deliverables
• Estimate cost for each Project Phase
• Agree on Budget, Development Process