Process 1: Planning

(Parallel information and resources are also available at december.com)

This process is concerned with establishing the overall goals of the web. It is at this stage that the six elements are established - that is the audience information, purpose statement, objective statement, domain information, web specification and web presentation.

The developers must also consider the resources they require. These resources may consist of manpower, required skills or particular pieces of software especially if the web is being used as a front end.

It is also at this stage that the developers must understand their position as regards web development. Developers have no control over aspects such as;

• The browser display - a user may be using a text-only browser
• What's behind the links out of the web
• Where links to their web appear, i.e. other people's webs, web crawlers etc.
• The point at which users enter the web - although users often enter at the 'top' or 'home' page, it is possible that a link point to a page anywhere within the web.

Developers may find that the planning process is continuous - the six elements are constantly reviewed and updated.