Help with modifications to an Existing Site

[Kristi_06]

Hello-
I am new to web design, in fact I'm only on my 3rd website, and I've just come across the first experience of remaking a site that is already in use. I'm currently in school and we have not covered this yet, so I'm not sure how to go about making the necessary changes. It will be a completely new design...so do I just make the design as I normally would if I were starting a whole new site? And what information from the client am I going to have to get to prepare the transition from the old site to the new site?

Any help or suggestions on tutorials would be very appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[PixelPusher]

Yeah if it is a new site entirely, you need cut the psd file up and then build the structure from scratch. Just better this way, so you dont run into any hiccups. As far as the client, you need them to approve you new design right?? Other than that, get the old content, that is going to be used in the new, in a text file (so you don't have to type it out manually)

 

[Arindra]

Hi

Don't worry so much. At some point of time you have to take such projects. Ask the website owners about their reasons behind developing this website and also about the kind of clients they got through this website. this will help you to think about the design. You will also need the psd and html/css files for your reference. If they want to change the content then its ok otherwise ask for that too.

 

[Marcus Cyganiak]

Yeah, you'll definitely need to know about the kind of clients that access the website you're about to develop. It would be great if the web owner you're developing for would have a sample scenario written up on how they would like their customers to access, function, and interact with their website. But sometimes that's asking for too much.

Web developers are sometimes mistreated in that everyone thinks we can just pop out a new website here and there without much process of foundation. Every house needs a foundation and so does a website. I like to think of each website as a home, and we are the architects, only refined as Information Architects. This is the virtual world of architecture and soon we will get that respect without flaw.

Just hang in there and make sure you've covered all grounds regarding the purpose of the website.