While on vacation, I decided to try something I've always wanted to do—put together a 1000 piece puzzle without using the boxtop, and with all the pieces upside down. Normally, a puzzle can take days or weeks to put together. There are countless hours spent looking at the image on the boxtop and then finding pieces that match that shape and color. This got me thinking...
Websites are similar to puzzles because they involve a lot of time and effort. We look at competitor’s websites, read whitepapers, define the vision for our website (i.e. boxtop) and then set out to line up all the pieces by color, shade and shape. We try to make things fit and spend a lot of time, money and energy trying to complete the picture. What if there was another way? What if you didn't have to worry about completing the picture, but rather following a process that required taking specific pieces and fitting them together systematically?
Without the boxtop, the first step is to separate all the pieces into six different types. The framework, or border, is the first type and the focus of this post. The other five types will be discussed in later posts.
The framework, or border, is what holds the puzzle together. Without it, there is no order or structure to placing the remaining types of pieces into the puzzle. Once the border is completed, it will reveal what other pieces need to be used to build the rest of the puzzle.
For websites, the framework, or border, is the sitemap and content. It will dictate where navigation elements, visual elements, features, user interaction and business requirements are used.
From search engines to user interaction, content is king. The right framework will allow the other areas or pieces of your website to come together quickly and systematically. The picture you build will be revealed one piece at a time.