Add needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 15 designs submitted by 9 freelance designers.
Homepage/Standard Text-based page with possible images
Contact Page with form and googlemap (optional but preferable)
Accepted File Formats:
Jpeg/photoshop psd/fireworx png
Summary
Community-based project to support individuals and families of all shapes, sizes and ages in the Billesley area of Birmingham. Provide everything from playschemes to grandparents sessions via teenage groups and breastfeeding advice. For childminders and other carers as well as obvious family members.
Some clients may be quite web savvy, but site is often likely to be used by people in local libraries (slow connections and old browsers) simply to find out basic information.
Will also be used by social care/family/community professionals/school as a resource.
No real competitors in most senses work together with other local groups providing similar activities in the community.
It will be used in posters, stationery etc to advertise the site and the information on the site.
It will have a pdf of their calendar of events which will be downloadable for people wishing to find out what is on.
Also, aim in the long term to have advice sheets (eg breastfeeding advice) for people to download from home if they want to.
To signpost users to other services via the links page.
Overview
Key characteristics required: clear, bright, friendly and family-oriented.
The want maximum simplicity and clarity as most of their users will be new or infrequent users of the web, or have busy and pressured lifestyles which mean they need to find things fast.
Graphics
The logo is attached and the purple and orange/yellow in it should be incorporated into the design as far as possible.
Im also attaching a load of comps from istockphoto.com which could be used in the design. Ive included a wide variety (and some are repetitions of similar pics so not all to be used). The idea would be to use these to show the activities that go on, and also the wide breadth of ages and ethnic backgrounds that use the centre. I suggest a mixture of pics of people and pics of pencils/artwork.
They are not quite sure about graphics so some of the designs could be free of graphics except the logo.
Sites liked (and why) (NOT in choice order)
http://www.amicus-alj.org
The client likes the clarity of this site and the easy navigation
http://www.bookstart.co.uk/
Like the feel of the site and feel it looks welcoming, but not the horizontal AND vertical nav bars as they feel this would be confusing.
http://www.candidcommunication.co.uk
Again, clarity, ease of navigation and the way the image and the logo complement each other are they things they commented on.
Sites not liked (and why)
http://www.surestart.gov.uk/
Too busy and too hard for new computer users to interpret and find the things they want.
Not enough space for welcome/introductory text because there are too many navigation options on the home page.
http://www.manchesterchildren.org.uk/
Boring, not very friendly looking. Official looking.
Site Layout
Pages required:
Home
Activities
Training
Private Hire
Training
Vacancies
Volunteers
Links
Contact us
Links for all these pages to appear on the home page and all other pages. Ability to add other pages (pdfs of samples of work for example) with or without links to the navigation bar is required. Ability to add external links on all pages.
Features for specific pages
Will need to be able to add pdfs to a number of pages, so please make this option available for all pages.
Possible need to be able to add images (for example of rooms for the private hire page) so please make this available for all pages.
Practical issues
Domain name and hosting The organisations full name is Chinnbrook Family and Community Project Ltd. Their current site is hosted at http://www.surestartbillesley.co.uk but they are changing from a SureStart to a Family and Community Project, hence redesign and new domain name.
Email/contact page
Form:
1 form on the contacts page with name and one form of contact methods as required fields. Suggest these boxes: name, comment/query, pulldown menu for email, phone, fax and then box to put in the number/address for that method of contact.
Space to add in information about directions and a link to a map (or a link to a pdf of a map and directions), preferably a googlemap intergration eg. http://www.onlineworx.net/contact.html only zoomed in.
images logo etc available at http://www.votivemedia.co.uk/chinbrook.rar