We employ the same design and business philosophy to every project whether it is an entertainment site for little Timmy, or a world-class investment site for little Timmy's dad.

The summary below outlines a typical project that would require business development, designs, and engineering. It is a starting point from which we customize our process to meet specific project requirements and goals.

Before the Project Begins

All projects begin with a detailed contract, when the client and developer sign on the dotted lines. This contract is the result of extensive discussions that help scope the project, define a process for its completion and specify other terms of the relationship. This ensures that all aspects of the site plan, including branding, content, commerce and community are part of an integrated business strategy working toward one set of measurable targets.

Discovery and Evaluation

A strong foundation is the most important part of any successful project. In order to achieve the best foundation, we work with you to determine the project goals, user needs, content and guiding principles. After evaluating the project in terms of over-all development, this foundation is recorded in a series of development documents: design document, functional specs, technical specs, and production specs.

During this stage, both ThinkVision Creative Media and the client have agreed on a set of deliverables grouped into appropriate milestones (yes, clients have deliverables, too). A content list for the project is completed, as well as a plan for operating the site after launch. With these assumptions in place, we can develop a firm project budget and final timeline for all services. This information is included in the formal statement of work that becomes a part of the official contract.

Design

Design occurs throughout the life of the project, even during the planning stages. The success of a project hinges on making key decisions early in the process on elements such as functionality, information design, metaphor, layout, interface and graphic design.

Most clients think of just graphic design when they think about design. In truth, the most important design components have little to do with the graphic representation the user sees. It is the underlying structure that creates the over all user experience.

Implementation

A lot of developers will tell you this is the end of the process. But for ThinkVision Creative Media, the launch of a site is really the beginning of the project's life.

We treat each new client as a new partner, and we want all of our projects to look good and work well into the future.

ThinkVision Creative Media is often contracted post-launch for:

• Support: Whether ThinkVision Creative Media hosts your site on our servers or not, we're committed to keep them working and looking great.
  
  
• Training: Many clients who operate their own sites benefit from operations or Web development training.
  
  
• Consulting: Whether you need to plan your next project or do triage on an old one, we are always eager to help our partners run their businesses better.
  

In the end, our process is really about a solid partnership. We look for clients that bring a lot of expertise about their business to the table; and we feel like clients should ask the same of their Web developer. Our process helps make project development a true collaboration between two experts.

If you'd like more information about what it's like to work with ThinkVision Creative Media please contact us.