Discuss the use of a storyboard to describe a Web site.

What will be an ideal response?

The Web site design process usually begins with some brainstorming to clarify the purpose of the Web site and to determine exactly what information or functionality should be available on the Web site. At the end of the brainstorming process, you will have some sort of list of functionality and information for the Web site. The next step is to organize the Web site into Web pages. Professional Web developers might use pen and paper or a large white board and markers when speaking with a client to start the storyboarding process. Alternatively, they may use an application such as Visio or the drawing functions in another software application. A storyboard is often composed of several boxes, each representing a Web page, with lines or arrows drawn between the boxes to represent links to Web pages.

The storyboard is your Web site design plan, just as an outline is a plan for writing an essay. The storyboard is also used as a communication tool to discuss the functionality of the Web site with the client. You could use it to explain how the Web pages would link to each other, and how the Web site information would be divided into individual Web pages. It also becomes your development plan, which will guide you in creating the links on each of the Web pages. The storyboard is a planning tool and will help you to communicate clearly to the client.