GWP.Org provides a default template that solves many presentation issues. It is designed with a layout that is easy to navigate and easy to read. Bare this in mind and avoid "reinventing the wheel". Try to re-use the site map of gwp.org as much as you can.
Getting started.
Print out and start with the default gwp.org site map template as inspiration. It is large, so print on everal A4 pages and stick together.
- Does it fit your needs? How could you improve it? Of course it doesn't fit a region's needs. Not every page on gwp.org is relevant to a regional site, so strike out the sections you know you don't need. Now how does it look?
- With this "lean" version, take a set of post-its and write the name of each relevant page on each post-it and arrange them on your desk.
- Next, look at your content list. Can you point to a location on the site map that could hold all the important documents in your list? No? Create a new page, or rearrange them.
- Now look at your list of group profiles. Go through each profile and their list of needs. For each group, consider how that person would land on the site and what they might do next. Would they be able to find what they are looking for?
Repeat these steps to until you have a set of pages you are roughly happy with and create a new site map document using the template you downloaded.
Creating the Site Map "for real"
Go to www.gwp.org/gwpui, login and open the "Edit Mode". under the Test area, youl will see a prototype regional website waiting for you. Start by creating pages under your site: right click on your regional start page, and select "create new". Choose Standard Page from the list. Use your site map to build up a set of pages. Note that you can drag and drop pages in episerver to arrange your pages until you have created a site structure that looks and feels good.
Once you've compelted this step, you are ready to start planning your content.
You can do this in EpiServer by edting the pages you have created (right lick on each page and choose "Edit"), or using a powerpoint template, either is fine, but I suggest for the initial draft versions that a few powerpoint templates are a good idea to save time.
You can download a powerpoint template to use for drafting out page content here.
Once you have this basic content you should also start collecting images and other important data such as PDFs / graphics / graphics you know you are going to need and make notes in your draft site.