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Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning
written by Dan Brown
Studio : New Riders Press
by New Riders Press
Publisher : New Riders Press
Released : 2006-09-16
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780321392350
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 33 reviews)
List Price : $44.99
Our Price : $25.12
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Product Description |
Most discussion about Web design seems to focus on the creative process, yet turning concept into reality requires a strong set of deliverables—the documentation (concept model, site maps, usability reports, and more) that serves as the primary communication tool between designers and customers. Here at last is a guide devoted to just that topic. Combining quick tips for improving deliverables with in-depth discussions of presentation and risk mitigation techniques, author Dan Brown shows you how to make the documentation you're required to provide into the most efficient communications tool possible. He begins with an introductory section about deliverables and their place in the overall process, and then delves into to the different types of deliverables. From usability reports to project plans, content maps, flow charts, wireframes, site maps, and more, each chapter includes a contents checklist, presentation strategy, maintenance strategy, a description of the development process and the deliverable's impact on the project, and more.
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A Solution to a Long Time Problem |
I have to admit something. When I joined my company, my department had been struggling with two big problems for years - poor programming hires and poor product documentation. This book helped answer the second problem.
When it came to documentation, nothing the group had created was easy to digest or effective to develop from. The resulting code was of low-to-middling quality. We'd tried SCRUM, Agile and most recently, RUP. Nothing seemed to work. So when I was tasked with redefining our documentation strategy (again), I was convinced I needed a book that would give me all the answers.
So, when I first got this book, I was really disappointed. It was NOT a book of examples or templates that we could use/emulate/steal. Instead, the book mixed design theory and principles with documentation deliverables. While it turned me off at first, I quickly realized the greater value - CONTEXT and VISUAL DESIGN.
What the book does best is provide valuable context when deciding which documents to create and for whom. This alone was a revelation. No longer did we have to follow some predefined, time-consuming and text-heavy format that no one will read.
The book essentially advocates that we take a visual design approach to documentation. I immediately had visions of documents that were as easy to understand as a picture book -- in almost a presentation-like format. This forced us to "Keep It Simple, Stupid" as we started re-defining our documentation - which leads me to the best comment I can say about the book.
This fall, I used the knowledge I gained in this book to convince my higher-ups on a new strategy that creates fewer documents, more visuals and saves time. Our work is more effective communication tools for business stakeholders and developers. We've created products that provide better results financially and programatically.
I'd also recommend attending a seminar at Dan's company EightShapes. |
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Excellent Handbook for Creating Documents |
This is an excellent handbook for creating all those design documents you'll need for communicating with others on your team. Each chapter is devoted to a single type of document and I particularly like the layered approach going from simple to complex. I've used it dozens of times in the last year.
While it is true that the templates on the accompanying website never appeared, you can find plenty of templates available through industry associations, such as the IAI's website. And with this book, you'll actually know what is what and how you use it.
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Good book but no documentation!!! |
I thought the book was quite good but was disappointed that there was no documentation on the website that was promised in the book. Not only that, but the book website had broken links and hasn't been updated in months and our requests have fallen on deaf ears... I've waited a year to write this review as I didn't want to jump to conclusions. So while I found the book an informative read I only rated it one star as I would not have bought the book if the documentation was never going to be made by the author. He has now asked the community to provide the documentation through the website...
It also bring up questions as to whether the documentation was ever used for actual projects or just to sell books. From the Book's website it seems to be the latter. |
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Wheres the templates and reference material? |
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT book for reference. Actually the best you can find of the type. No filler and I enjoy the authors style.
Only four stars because book offers no companion templates for reference. How could a book focusing on documentation offer no documents/templates for reference in this day and age? Lucky for Dan his writing and explanations are THAT good. Though, shame on both the author and publisher for not going the extra step here. |
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Beyond Disappointed |
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I expected an explanation and illustration of best practice in communicating design and I didn't get that. There are hardly any examples and those that do appear are cursory. Not recommended for experienced practitioners. |
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