Designing Site Structures

Before you start building a web site, especially a complex web site, you need to think about how your pages will interconnect with one another. Do you have a site that offers pages meant to be read in a specific order? Or do you have a site that is loosely constructed, with pages that can be read in any order? You may even have a combination of the two. In order to organize your content, you need to create a site map that will illustrate the basic connections between areas and pages on your site.

Why do I have to do this?

Well, there are several reasons to create a map of your site. The first reasons is basic organizational procedure. When you are creating or modifying a site, you want to make sure that nothing is left out. Creating a map will not only let you know how the pages will interact, it will force you to think about the content areas you want to include, and the sections within those areas. It will also help keep track of what has been done and what areas still need work. This is especially helpful when you have a large group of people working on a site.

The second reason has to do with Navigation. It is a group practice to have a main list of links at the bottom or top of your page that link to main areas of your site. If you create a map, you can see at a glance what the main areas are, and figure out the navigation easily. You can also use your map (cleaned up or redone) as a Site Map for your viewers. This will let them get to any area of the site from one place. Finally, many people are visual learners. It is often hard to visualize the structure of a site by looking at an outline or storyboards. A map will clear up any confusion about the hierarchy of a site, as well as help fellow workers keep in mind how everything needs to be organized.

The third reason is for archive purposes. If you ever have to modify or redesign a site (or if someone else has to take over), you will have your previous map to help you figure out exactly where changes have to be made.

Who creates the Map?

Usually the Project Manager or Coordinator will take the outlines, sketches, and storyboards and draw the site map, indicating main areas and sections, and pages which fall under each category. Sometimes the Webmaster (I hate that title) will do it for her/his benefit, then share it with others on the project. This will also give the person who draws the map a deeper understanding of what has to be done (followed immediately by screams of disbelief, insanity and sometimes a sharp restructuring and reduction of plans--- also called a "Reality Check"). Sometimes, an artist will be given the preliminary map and be told to interpret it into a visually interesting piece of art that will go on the web site, or into a portfolio. These aren't often useful (hard to read), but they look really cool, and they give the general feeling of structure.

How do you actually create the map?

They are several ways to create a map. You can use a software program designed for this purpose (Inspiration is one that I've seen used), or you can draw it out on paper. I actually prefer drawing it by hand. I use a huge piece of paper, big and little black markers, and colored pencils, and concentrate for a good two to three hours for a preliminary map. Later, when the site is just about done, I make an electronic version (usually just listing areas and sections and links to pages within the areas and sections--- plain old text map for educational sites). The advantages to a text map rather than a visual map here is that the text map is easily updatable. For this reason, a visual map is usually sort of vague, representing structure rather than specific content.

How do you start this whole process?

First you need to figure out what type of structure you need. There are three basic types of structure, linear, branching, and grid. The two main ones are the linear and branching structures. Linear structures are used when you want to present information that needs to be read sequentially, like a book. Branching structures are used when you want to present information in sections that can be read in any order. Most sites are a combination of the two. For example, you might be designing an on-line course (which happens to be what I am doing right now). You are going to have different sections which contain some sequential pages, but not all of your information is going to be presented "in order". You would use a combination of the linear and branching structures. An example of a grid structure (in fact the only type I've seen using the grid) is a site explaining the periodic table. You can move in any direction, up down, side to side and diagonally from any page in that area. This is pretty confusing. I find it much easier to forget about the grid structure and modify combinations of the linear and branching structures.

After you've figured out what type of structure you need, you need to organize your information. Then you can start your map and get ready to work on your site!

[Back to the Articles]