Exploratory Research

Before we can design or re-design your application or website, we must identify and learn about it's users and their needs. Possible research methods include user interviews, contextual inquiry, surveys, usability testing, and focus groups.
    Sample Deliverables:
  • Personas
  • Use Cases
  • Task Analyses
  • Conceptual Diagrams
Interaction and Information Design

Based on the results of exploratory research and your business goals, we'll design a solution focusing on simplicty, ease of navigation, task completion, and findability of information. The focus here is functionality rather than appearance.
    Sample Deliverables:
  • Wireframes
  • Site Maps
  • User Interface Specifications
  • Low-fidelity Prototypes

Visual Design

Visual Design adds the polish to your website or application. Through the use of color, typography, photos, and various graphical elements, we will create a skin that is aesthetically pleasing to your users while also communicating subtle messages about your brand and more.
    Sample Deliverables:
  • Design comps
  • Banners
  • Flash slideshows
  • Image preparation and optimization

Website Development

Whether coding a new website or making fixes to an existing one, we will deliver a site that is CSS-based, W3C compliant, cross-browser compatible, and search engine optimized. We can hand-code your pages, use standard or custom templates, or implement content management systems such as Joomla and Drupal. Depending on your needs, we can also setup wikis, blogs, forums, shopping cart/payment systems, and more using open-source or commercial solutions.
    Sample Deliverables:
  • High-fidelity prototypes
  • Completed website
  • Assistance with domain registration and site certificates
  • Upload to your hosting site
  • Testing and bug fixing

Testing and Evaluation

Usability testing can and should occur during the design and development process to ensure that the website or application is doing what it should. Though the methods and deliverables are similar to the exploratory research phase, it differs in that your users will now see and interact with a rough design, prototype, or actual solution rather than just talking about their wants and needs in a general sense.
    Sample Deliverables:
  • Heuristic Analysis
  • User Interviews
  • Usability Tests
  • Surveys
  • Focus Groups

Site Maintenance

A great many website usability problems come about when a site is not regularly and accurately maintained, even though it may have been well designed and implemented in the beginning. If your business does not have an IT person to make changes and updates, Sapient Design can provide this service for you.
    Various Maintenance Plans Available

Documentation and Training

Very often a business hires a developer to create their website, but has one or more people from their own staff maintain it. Often a staff member is left guessing at how a site works or why something was implemented the way it was. This can cause problems with site continuity and functioning. Sapient Design can help you avoid this problem by documenting the sites features, styles, scripts used, etc. as well as by providing training to your staff about how to edit content, photos, and graphics.
    Sample Deliverables:
  • Website Technical Documentation
  • How-to Documents
  • Remote Training
  • Onsite Training (travel charges apply)