Building a website step-by-step (my secret design project methodology)

Basim Mousilli — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:57:37 +0000

The #1 thing that will determine the success or failure of your web design project is effective project management to properly scope your design project, communicate progress, and ensure project closeout.

I am going to explain my very own “secret” methodology involved with managing a web design (or graphics design) project from concept to completion, given you have a customer, a project, and a deadline. I will describe the process from start to finish as if you were my client.

By the end of this tutorial, you will have a good grip on how web design projects should be conducted.

A glamorous design is only called a success if you meet scope expectations on time, within budget, and with allocated resources. Communication, creativity, and closure are the 3 C’s you need to keep in mind as the keys for your success as a web designer. If you master these concepts of project management for web & graphics design that I am about to explain, clients will keep coming back to you and referring you like a call girl diva in New York in the roaring 1920s.

Purpose & target audience for this methodology tutorial

With this knowledge of my very own web design methodology, you will have a firm handle on how to approach clients or design a website yourself if you are a new web designer; for other readers, you can know what to expect if you are about to engage with a web designer to do some work for you. Specific uses for this methodology:

Explaining next steps to your client (enhancing sales)
Organizing your design workload (effective planning)
Creating discreet project milestones (contract closure)

Here’s the web design process I use for my clients. I will explain each step in the pages to come:

Methodologies help achieve repeatable success and are not meant to be followed precisely but rather with broads strokes and dashes of your own creativity.

Elements of the design process to be explained

I will cover the whole web/graphics design project process in quite some detail starting with…

Analyzing Your Needs and Agreeing on a Proposal
Collecting Content & Getting Started with Wording
Building the Design Concept and Detailed Design
Reviewing, Testing, and Tweaking the Details
Publishing the Solution and Handing Over
Marketing, Support, Maintenance, Follow Up

Note: I have adapted this approach based on consulting techniques learned at Accenture and from Forture 500 firms I have worked for. This walk through is relevant whether the “design” project is a website, a small business card, or even a simple t-shirt.

This tutorial is quite long so sit back, grab some Doritos, and enjoy homeboy. Remember while reading, the term “you” refers to you as the client and “we” refers to us as the designer team…

Istikharah: Seeking divine counsel

Basim Mousilli — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:02:37 +0000

I would like to share with you a gem token of assistance passed on to us through the teachings of Islam. And that gem is Duaa’ al Istikharah, or in other words, the supplication induced to seek the guidance of God when you need help making a decision or to gain confidence to do the right thing. In this tutorial, I will share with you how to perform Istikharah.

The Prophet (PBUH) reminds us in one story “Irbut wa tawakkal” or in other words tie your camel and put your assurance in God; do what you have to and leave the rest to Allah. I also recall his saying (PBUH): “Istasheer oo istakheer” or in other words seek counsel (from others), as in ask around, and seek guidance (from God), as in make Duaa’ Al Istikharah preceded by 2 rak’aat of Salat Al Istikharah.

As for the proof for the permissibility of Istikharah, Imam al-Bukhari narrates in his Saheeh through various sources: ‘The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) used to teach us al-Istikharah (seeking of guidance) in all of our affairs, like he would teach us a Soorah of the Qur’an saying:

“If any of you is concerned about an affair, then let him pray two rakahs other then the obligatory prayers after which he should supplicate: ‘O Allah, I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge and I seek Your assistance by Your Power and I ask You from Your immense favor, for verily you are able while I am not, and verily You know and I do not, and You are the knower of the unseen. O Allah if You know this affair is to be good for me in relation to my religion, my life and end (or he said my present and my future), then decree and facilitate it for me and bless me with it. And if You know this affair to be detrimental (harmful) for me concerning my religion, my life and end (or he said my present and my future), then remove it from me and remove me from it and decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with it.’ And he mentions his need.”

The duaa’ transliteration is:
“Allaahumma inni astakheeruka bi ‘ilmika wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika wa as’aluka min fadlika, fa innaka taqdiru wa laa aqdir, wa ta’lamu wa laa a’lam, wa anta ‘allaam al-ghuyoob. Allaahumma fa in kunta ta’lamu haadha’l-amra (then the matter should be mentioned by name) khayran li fi ‘aajil amri wa aajilihi (or: fi deeni wa ma’aashi wa ‘aaqibati amri) faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma baarik li fihi. Allaahumma wa in kunta ta’lamu annahu sharrun li fi deeni wa ma’aashi wa ‘aaqibati amri (or: fi ‘aajili amri wa aajilihi) fasrifni ‘anhu [wasrafhu 'anni] waqdur li al-khayr haythu kaana thumma radini bihi.”

The duaa’ translation is:
“O Allah if You know this affair to be good for me in relation to my religion, my life and end (or he said my present and my future), then decree and facilitate it for me and bless me with it. And if You know this affair to be detrimental for me concerning my religion, my life and end (or he said my present and my future), then remove it from me and remove me from it and decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with it.”

Consequently, the stages of Istikharah are:

May Allah accept your duaa’ and lighten your burden. Ameen.

BasimMousilli.com » how to guide

Building a website step-by-step (my secret design project methodology)

Istikharah: Seeking divine counsel