Hi Yvonne, It depends on the features of the CMS, your understanding of the way skinning works and how much control you have over the interaction design.
>From your stated experience as a web/graphic designer I'll assume that you can produce the visuals but need to plan the way you'll present and explain the interface interaction components for the CMS. The time frame worries me. I've found that most custom CMS jobs I do are about 3 X the work required for reasonably involved print graphics or campaign sites (as an example) because of the complexity and design decisions that will be made along the way. If you have used the CMS before and know what it does, how it can be skinned and to what degree it can be customised, then you needn't change you methods all that much, apart from allowing a little extra time to also present extra visuals that show how a User will navigate around the site. I've come from a similar background and I found that when you are dealing with the AI and UXD as well as the visuals you may need to: * Modify the timeline for delivery (3 X longer), * Produce more iterations of your design as you go (3 X more) The graphic design part of the job is a start, so yes, three designs are still a good starting point, but they also have to be underpinned by the user interface/accessibility problems presented to you. You have to show the customer the design problems before you provide a solution for them. Now if you want a more customised CMS that requires you to create a custom template (or skin), that adds some extra steps and added time and effort. Remember you will probably be presenting grids and layouts of each TYPE of page the User may see in each of your 3 designs (so, yes, about 3 X more!) and you will need to be able to demonstrate visually the way the interaction works. I find that the best way is to create your visuals in Illustrator or Photoshop as usual and then do layer variations around a base design and then simply insert them into a PowerPoint or a PDF file and use the smarts in Acrobat or PowerPoint to add pseudo interactions - clicks and effects. Now the big problem you may have is in the level of your own technical knowledge of how the CMS you will be using works. Make sure you don't propose a solution that requires an unknown amount of custom coding. Good front-end developers are hard to find and are not cheap. If you can code CSS, XHTML or know your way around any of the JavaScript frameworks you may be in luck, otherwise find a coder who has the skills and run your ideas past them before you show a client. They will give you a reality check that will allow you to answer the customer's questions about cost and timeframe with confidence. To make sure the customer gets the need for the extra time to do the job properly, reinforce the quality of thought in your work to them so that they will respect your effort - and extend your deadlines so you can produce good quality work! Good luck Stephen Holmes Stephen Holmes UX/IA Canberra, ACT, Australia "When you plant a tree, never plant only one. Plant three -- one for shade, one for fruit, and one for beauty." -African proverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=49608 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
