Content Driven Websites

Content-Based Prototype

The content-based prototype provides an online framework for reviewing and editing websites from the initial planning phase, through content creation and site design, to ongoing maintenance. It eliminates the use of clumsy whiteboards, paper, or Visio diagrams, and facilitates active multi-user involvement at every stage.

Using nothing more than a standards-compliant web browser users can add, delete, edit, and reorganize pages. On large sites multiple users can edit their own sections simultaneously, so long as they’re careful to avoid overwriting each other’s work.

As illustrated, the basic interface is uncluttered, with a title banner, a main menu across the top, and a sub-menu with sub-sections on the left. The layout expands downward to accommodate any volume of content including text, images, Flash elements, and more.

It is a curious phenomenon that when viewing a web site with the final design in place it’s very easy to miss content issues such as weak—and even empty—pages, or excessively long pages. By separating the content from the design, a content-based prototype makes it easier to spot such problems.

Once the content and structure of the web site or web application has been finalized, designers and developers working in HTML and CSS are free to craft themes that give the site any desired look and feel.

Once the content and design are complete and the site has been launched, a content-based prototype eases ongoing maintenance. With minimal training customers can edit their own web pages or the web company can outsource this to individuals with basic computer skills. This reduces the load on web designers and developers, freeing them to focus on higher value tasks.