Successful web design teams depend on clear communication between developers and their clients—and among members of the development team. **Wireframes, site maps, flow charts, and other design diagrams establish a common language so designers and project teams can capture ideas, track progress, and keep their stakeholders informed.** In this all new edition of Communicating Design , author and information architect Dan Brown defines and describes each deliverable, then offers practical advice for creating the documents and using them in the context of teamwork and presentations, independent of methodology. Whatever processes, tools, or approaches you use, this book will help you improve the creation and presentation of your wireframes, site maps, flow charts, and other deliverables. The book now features: * **An improved structure comprising two main sections: Design Diagrams and Design Deliverables. The first focuses on the nuts and bolts of design documentation and the second explains how to pull it all together.** * **New deliverable: design briefs, as well as updated advice on wireframes, flow charts, and concept models.** * **More illustrations , to help designers understand the subtle variations and approaches to creating design diagrams.** * **Reader exercises , for those lonely nights when all you really want to do is practice creating wireframes, or for use in workshops and classes.** * **Contributions from industry leaders : Tamara Adlin, Stephen Anderson, Dana Chisnell, Nathan Curtis, Chris Fahey, James Melzer, Steve Mulder, Donna Spencer, and Russ Unger.** “As an educator, I have looked to Communicating Design both as a formal textbook and an informal guide for its design systems that ultimately make our ideas possible and the complex clear.” —Liz Danzico, from the Foreword Contents......Page 4 Foreword......Page 6 Preface to the Second Edition......Page 7 Acknowledgments......Page 12 1 Introduction......Page 14 The Whole Story: Deliverables......Page 16 Tools for Creating Diagrams and Deliverables......Page 17 Deliverables and the Design Process......Page 18 Deliverables and the Project Team......Page 20 Describing vs. Doing......Page 22 PART 1: DESIGN DIAGRAMS......Page 24 2 Diagram Basics......Page 25 Anatomy of a Design Diagram......Page 26 Creating Design Artifacts......Page 27 Challenges in Communicating Design......Page 31 Presenting Design......Page 33 Congratulations......Page 44 3 Personas......Page 45 Personas At-A-Glance......Page 46 Introducing Personas......Page 47 Anatomy of a Persona......Page 49 Creating Personas......Page 54 Presenting Personas......Page 62 Using and Applying Personas......Page 70 4 Concept Models......Page 74 Concept Models At-A-Glance......Page 75 Introducing Concept Models......Page 76 Anatomy of a Concept Model......Page 81 Creating Concept Models......Page 87 Presenting Concept Models......Page 93 Applying Concept Models......Page 98 Concepts Matter......Page 101 5 Site Maps......Page 103 Site Maps At-A-Glance......Page 104 Introducing Site Maps......Page 105 Anatomy of a Site Map......Page 108 Creating Site Maps......Page 115 Presenting Site Maps......Page 121 Using and Applying Site Maps......Page 128 The Web's Cartographic Conundrum......Page 131 6 Flowcharts......Page 133 Flowcharts At-A-Glance......Page 134 Introducing Flowcharts......Page 135 Anatomy of a Flowchart......Page 137 Creating Flowcharts......Page 151 Presenting Flowcharts......Page 161 Using and Applying Flowcharts......Page 168 The Depth of Process......Page 172 7 Wireframes......Page 174 Wireframes At-A-Glance......Page 175 Introducing Wireframes......Page 176 Anatomy of a Wireframe......Page 178 Creating Wireframes......Page 187 Presenting Wireframes......Page 195 Applying and Using Wireframes......Page 202 Design in Black and White......Page 208 PART 2: DESIGN DELIVERABLES......Page 210 8 Deliverable Basics......Page 211 What Makes a Good Deliverable......Page 214 Anatomy of a Deliverable......Page 219 Laying Out Pages......Page 229 Presenting Deliverables......Page 232 The Deliverable Lifecycle......Page 233 The Future of Deliverables......Page 237 9 Design Briefs......Page 239 What Makes a Good Design Brief......Page 240 Anatomy of a Design Brief......Page 250 The One-Slide Challenge......Page 258 10 Competitive Reviews......Page 261 What Makes a Good Competitive Review......Page 262 Anatomy of a Competitive Review......Page 265 Acknowledging the Competition......Page 270 11 Usability Plans......Page 271 What Makes a Good Usability Plan?......Page 272 Anatomy of a Plan......Page 274 The Best-laid Plans......Page 279 12 Usability Reports......Page 281 What Makes a Good Usability Report......Page 282 Anatomy of a Usability Report......Page 286 Getting Inside Their Heads......Page 293 Recommended Bookshelf Additions......Page 296 About the Author......Page 297 Contributor Bios......Page 298 Colophon......Page 299 C......Page 300 D......Page 301 H......Page 302 P......Page 303 R......Page 304 U......Page 305 Z......Page 306
Most discussion about Web design seems to focus on the creative process, yet turning concept into reality requires a strong set of deliverables—the documentation (concept model, site maps, usability reports, and more) that serves as the primary communication tool between designers and customers. The only guide devoted to just that topic is now bigger and better.
Combining quick tips for improving deliverables with in-depth discussions of presentation and risk mitigation techniques, author Dan Brown shows you how to make the documentation you're required to provide into the most efficient communications tool possible. From usability reports to project plans, content maps, flow charts, wireframes, site maps, and more, each chapter includes a contents checklist, presentation strategy, maintenance strategy, a description of the development process and the deliverable's impact on the project.
The second edition of this popular book is in a larger format with nearly 100 additional pages and contains new chapters with updated and more numerous illustrations. A completely new section teaches designers how to create deliverables in the context of telling a larger story.
Provides information on design documentation, covering such topics as personas, concept models, site maps, flowcharts, wireframes, and usability plans.
