Design of the school’s homepage

You don’t need to know what it’s supposed to look like.
All you need to know is what the page is meant to achieve.

I will design the structure and content for a specific page – such as a course description, a degree programme, an open day or a homepage. You will receive a ready-to-use template that both your web administrator and your supplier will be able to implement.

Layout and copy. From 6,300 CZK excluding VAT.
What’s being discussed

The information is on the website. Yet people still ask about it.

Everything needed for enrolment is there, just scattered across a few places.
The subject is described in technical terms, and parents cannot tell from this what their child will learn.
It is not clear from the website what prospective customers should do next.
The text was written by someone other than someone who understands the subject, or perhaps the other way round.
The website is updated every year and gets a bit bigger each time.
The supplier asks what should go there. You expect him to come up with a suggestion.

The school doesn’t usually lack information. It has plenty of it, but nobody has organised it according to the order in which parents or prospective pupils need it.

Why deal with it sooner?

It is cheaper to change a line than a completed page.

When decisions are only made once the artwork is finalised, changes have to be made twice. Firstly, because it turns out that information the parent needs is missing. Secondly, because text had to be added at the last minute to a space that wasn’t intended for it.

The design will skip this round. Decisions on what appears first on the page, what comes second, and why, are made the moment a change involves moving a block. And the text is finalised before construction begins.

Which pages

The key factor is the one on which the parent bases their decision.

Most often

  • school enrolment,
  • admissions process,
  • open day,
  • Details of the degree programme.

Next

  • home page,
  • an introduction to the school,
  • contact details for specific people,
  • after-school clubs and the after-school care centre.
How I do it

I don’t start with the layout. I start with what the page is meant to achieve.

1.

Purpose of the website

What parents or applicants need to know and do after reading this. Register, attend the appointment, and ring the relevant person.

2.

Documents from you

What are the questions people in the office ask most often? What comes up year after year? And what is important for the school to highlight? You don’t need to write anything down; just have a chat about it.

3.

Structure

The order of the sections and what each one must contain. This is what determines whether a person finds the answer before reaching for their phone.

4.

Lyrics

I write both the headings and the text directly into the sections, using everyday language rather than the language of official regulations. Technical details will remain, but they will simply be explained.

5.

Handover

We’ll go through the design together. It clearly shows why each element is where it is, so it can be passed on to both the web administrator and the contractor.

What you get

A finished draft, not a draft requiring further work.

i.

Page structure

A block layout without graphics, so that decisions can be made about the content.

ii.

Written texts

Headings, labels and buttons. They can be used as they are.

iii.

Reasons for the ranking

Why this comes first. It is useful when a proposal is submitted to management.

iv.

Basis for implementation

For both website administrators and suppliers. I can code it too.

Before you ask

Four things everyone asks about.

It’s actually a new website.

It isn’t. It’s a single page where the decision is made. The rest of the website remains as it is. This is often what determines whether a new website is actually needed.

We write the lyrics ourselves.

Go ahead. The draft is written in such a way that it can be rewritten in your own words whilst retaining the structure. Anyone who wants to can have the texts ready-made.

Our website is managed by an external company.

Never mind. The output is the task it will take on. I’m not interfering with your website, nor am I replacing anyone.

It has to be approved by management.

I’m counting on that. It includes an explanation of why each element is positioned where it is, so that the design can be presented and discussed, rather than simply approved on the basis of its appearance.

Price

The scope will be agreed in advance.

Website design
on an individual basis

When pages are linked together – for example, the admissions process, degree programmes and open days.

  • Everything from a single-page design
  • Navigation between pages
  • Uniform block logic
Agree on the scope

The price is based on the number and complexity of the pages. I’ll quote a specific amount in advance; there’s no hourly billing.

Still undecided?

You’ll probably contact several suppliers.

I’ve drawn up seven questions that you should ask each of them. They’ll help you tell who’s looking for the root cause of the problem and who’s just going through the motions.

Please tell us which page you are working on.

All I need is the website address and a brief description of what you’d like to change on the page. I’ll get back to you with my proposal and a quote.

If it’s better to start somewhere else, I’ll let you know. This isn’t a binding order.

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