Most discussion about Web design seems to focus on the creative process, yet turning concept into reality requires a strong set of deliverables—the documentation (concept model, site maps, usability reports, and more) that serves as the primary communication tool between designers and customers. Here at last is a guide devoted to just that topic. Combining quick tips for improving deliverables with in-depth discussions of presentation and risk mitigation techniques, author Dan Brown shows you how to make the documentation you're required to provide into the most efficient communications tool possible. He begins with an introductory section about deliverables and their place in the overall process, and then delves into to the different types of deliverables. From usability reports to project plans, content maps, flow charts, wireframes, site maps, and more, each chapter includes a contents checklist, presentation strategy, maintenance strategy, a description of the development process and the deliverable's impact on the project, and more.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Wheres the templates and reference material?
Comment: EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT book for reference. Actually the best you can find of the type. No filler and I enjoy the authors style.

Only four stars because book offers no companion templates for reference. How could a book focusing on documentation offer no documents/templates for reference in this day and age? Lucky for Dan his writing and explanations are THAT good. Though, shame on both the author and publisher for not going the extra step here.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Beyond Disappointed
Comment: I expected an explanation and illustration of best practice in communicating design and I didn't get that. There are hardly any examples and those that do appear are cursory. Not recommended for experienced practitioners.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Understand how to properly design a user friendly web site.
Comment: If you are responsible for designing or redesigning web sites, this will help your understanding of the process. If you are wanting a user friendly web site, this is a must read. This book does not cover the software used but the process to follow so that the software used will be able to produce a quality web site.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Book for every day needs
Comment: This book is a great help for everyone who needs to improve documentation. It's on my desk and I recommend it 100%.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Buyer beware - companion website does not have promised resources
Comment: Part of the value of this book is the promise that the author will provide templates and examples. This promise is worth zero. If you go to the companion website, there is a note from the author that says, essentially, "Ooops, so sorry. Got too busy." Just a tad unprofessional? I guess different people have different perspectives on such things.

Call me crazy, but one would think that the author would have had a whole stack of examples and templates BEFORE he wrote the book. How else would he know what documents are needed? Just a rhetorical question.....

The book itself is useful, don't get me wrong. I am just very disappointed in the lack of companion material. Other reviews very adequately cover the content.

In terms of practical help, AND downloadable templates, I vastly prefer Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow that Works (2nd Edition) by Kelly Goto.

Kelly Goto's advice saved my tail when I was a newbie in the field (waaaaay back in the dark ages of the 20th century), and still has relevance for me today.

Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow that Works (2nd Edition) (VOICES)


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UPDATE: August 2008: nothing has changed on the companion website, http://www.communicatingdesign.com/ Quite frankly, it looks like it has been abandoned.

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