Mind mapping expert and Biggerplate founder Liam Hughes will be stopping by regularly to share the best maps posted at Biggerplate.com. See how other people around the world are using MindManager in business, education, and life!
This week I’m looking at a fantastic MindManager mind map template from the Biggerplate library that can help you with planning and executing the design and development of a website. This mind map has been downloaded over 3,500 times over the last few years, suggesting there are a lot of people out there looking for help with what can often be a complicated and confusing process, especially for non-technical folks (like me.)
Website Design & Development Scoping Guide
While the Web has grown and changed immensely since this map was created, it still provides an invaluable guide and prompts for asking key questions that need to be answered before embarking on a web building or re-building project. Whether you’re a professional web designer/developer or just someone who needs to understand some of the key components and considerations, this mind map template gives you a great place to start!
View or download the mind map at Biggerplate.com
Using this Mind Map
This mind map will serve web designers and developers very well when engaging a new client and trying to understand their requirements. Involving the client in the process and capturing their ideas and answers in the map is a great way to ensure you are engaging them fully in the process. What’s more, in many contexts (not just web development) if the client can see their perspectives being captured, they will know that you are listening, and fully aware of their needs. It’s a great approach to use in any type of consultant-client relationship, not only for capturing information, but also for building a relationship through understanding. Testing that you have accurately captured the client perspective in the map is an excellent way to ensure you don’t start off with misaligned expectations.
Think Non-Technical
If you’re not a website designer, then some parts of this mind map may venture into territory that makes no sense—who, or what exactly is Ruby on Rails? However, there are some fundamental questions and prompts within this map that are non-technical and which must be considered and answered before a single line of code is written by anyone. While the designers and developers can use the map to interrogate the client requirements, a non-technical individual and/or team can use this map to evaluate practically what you want to achieve, and what is achievable.
Spending time doing some up-front expectation setting using a map like this can be vital in bringing projects back on track, whilst also allowing them to morph and adapt (within scope) as things progress. Either way, if everyone involved in the web building project is involved with working through the sections of this map, then collective clarity will almost certainly be improved, and you’ll give yourself the best chance of setting realistic and achievable budgets, time frames, and goals for the website.
To view and download this mind map, plus thousands more MindManager templates and examples, please feel free to visit us at Biggerplate.com