Planning: It Saves MoneyResearch consistently shows that most projects that run over budget or fail do so because of poor initial planning. Before we write a line of code or create a single graphic, we work with you to understand the project requirements and carefully plan the technical architecture. Good planning can help to decrease your budget and shorten the project timeline.
Urban Insight stands out in combining eye-catching graphic design with web usability. Understanding web design is only part of the solution. To provide a sustainable design that will outlive this month's website design trend requires an understanding of how the modern web evolved and how traditional graphic design principles can applied to create an elegant and usable design for the web. We work with you to understand your business and social goals, and develop a design that is both visually compelling and sustainable.
Urban Insight has a customized methodology for web projects. It combines the very best from a classic software development cycle with the benefits from agile development and rapid prototyping to ensure that you are involved in every stage of of the project. Our methodology includes six phases:
If you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Urban Insight believes that each project is unique, and we decide which tools should be used based on the goals of the project. Urban Insight supports and is active in the Open Source community, which promotes the concept that technology and standards should be open to the technology community for debate and improvement. Where appropriate, Urban Insight uses open source technologies and tools in its work. However, we are equally proficient using LAMP and Microsoft stacks.
Can you update your website in five minutes? If you can't, then it's likely that your website doesn't reflect the most current information about your organization. The more difficult it is to update the website, the less likely you are to do it. A web content management systems empower writers and editors with limited technical skills to fully manage all aspects of your website in minutes, as opposed to days.
The E-Commerce graveyard is littered with e-businesses that leaped before they looked. Their goals were hazy, their business models unproven, and their lives were short. Before you design an E-Commerce site, you need to decide on and prioritize your business objectives. Do you want to brand and position your company online? Persuade Internet users to purchase a product or service online or call you or visit a physical location? Whatever your goals, Urban Insight offers strategic advice in developing a solid E-Commerce website that supports your core business.
Is your website accessible to people with disabilities? Effective June 2001, websites run by federal agencies must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. This new law, commonly called Section 508, is expected to be the technology equivalent of the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Urban Insight can help you ensure that your website is accessible to people with disabilities. In fact, in a case study for Planning Magazine, we have documented our efforts in making the Planetizen website universally accessible.
As a testament to how well we work with our clients, nine out of 10 clients continue to work with us after the launch of their website. Urban Insight can provide web hosting, maintenance and ongoing support. We offer several options for small and mid-sized organizations that don't have the time or internal staff to actively manage their websites and prefer not to worry about technical details.