Updating the Website: Part Two

I have had a great week and a half since posting about my need to stop dithering with updating the work website. Here's the Mindmap as it stands at the moment.



I'm fairly sure that you get the idea that this is not meant to be a "complete" map, and that it is meant to grow and alter as I spend more time thinking about what I want the outcome to be.

What I Have Done This Week.

Along with deciding to use Wordpress as the backbone of the new site I have also decided that I will start the design process from scratch rather than use an existing template or theme. My main reason for this decision is that it will force me to actually learn the skills that would be required for ongoing maintenance and enhancement. This has already proven to be a good decision as my fuzzy-brain-itis seems to have faded somewhat and I can almost say that I genuinely understand how WP works and how things are structured to produce the wonderful blogs that we all take for granted. Almost.

The process will follow (roughly) this order of events:

1. Complete initial layout and design. (Currently under way.)


2. Investigate potential hosts & decide on one. (A "trial" domain will be purchased for this project.)


3. Existing content will be reviewed and altered.


4. Identify and incorporate new and additional content.


5. Check that the overall creation (design and content) aligns with the stated purposes.


6. Invite friends and associates to review the initial result.


7. Fix stuff that doesn't work, is misspelled, and that everyone hates. 8-O


8. Send it out for a second round of critiquing, smile graciously as everyone applauds.


9. Release it into the world back on it's own domain, retiring the existing design to Back-up City.


10. Wait for Google to figure out where we've gone, and hopefully pick us up again sometime this millenium.


11. Have a nice glass of Cab Sav and gloat over conquering my techno-fear. :D

Timeline of this masterpiece?
As long as it takes, and as quick as I can go.

How was your week?