Pearson BTEC Level 3 IT Unit 6: Website Development Assignment Answers

Unit 6 Introduction

Many international organisations use websites to serve customers and, in some cases, to make money. With millions of web pages being created daily, the need for websites to be engaging, innovative and desirable is important. When you're a site developer, you have to utilise advanced methods to attract user consideration and also provide value to customers. The scripting involved in the development of websites has become crucial: website developers need to understand and acquire the necessary skills to find solutions to a variety of scenarios and problems.

In this unit, you will review existing websites – commenting on their overall design and effectiveness. Use of the scripting languages Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript®, as well as a simple text editor or rapid application development tools. Last but not least, you will consider the design and functionality of the website through a test and review.

For many software developers, database experts and systems managers, the ability to develop a web client is a necessity as part of their overall skill sets. This unit will equip you for website development jobs or a website development apprenticeship. The unit will benefit you if you want to go on to higher education to develop your studies.

Learning Aim A: Understand the principles of website development.

A.D1 Evaluate how the principles of website design are used to produce creative, high-performance websites that meet client requirements.

Answer:

Website design principles make it possible for a designer to create a website that is attractive, easy to use and effective. To build a successful website, it is essential to have a blend of creativity and performance as well as the needs of the client.

Colours, typography, images, spacing and branding are used to assemble a visual design that looks good and is consistent. Use of creative features can enhance the engagement of a website, but if there are too many animations or large images, it can cause the website to lag. Hence, creativity should be connected with the goal of the web page, but not complicate it.

The website is easy to use and navigate, allowing users to access information quickly and easily. The website is user-friendly and easy to navigate, ensuring that users can access information easily and efficiently. It is an easy-to-use website with clear menus, headings, buttons, and page layouts. This is because even a good-looking website may result in visitors to the site leaving in confusion.

Responsive design makes a website function well on computers, tablets and smartphones. This is crucial, as users use different devices to access websites. A responsive website can thus enable the client to connect with a larger audience.

Websites with accessibility are more user-friendly for those with varying needs. Some of the features that enhance accessibility include the ability to read the text, have good colour contrast, provide alternative text for images, and allow keyboard navigation.

Performance is also crucial. Optimising images, minimising excess code and eliminating excessive features can help improve loading times. A faster website will create a better user experience and can lead to better business retention.

In general, a good website will be creative, usable, accessible, responsive and performant. The significance of the principles is based on the client's needs. For instance, an internet-based retailer may prioritise speed and easy navigation, and a portfolio website might emphasise more on visual creativity. Thus, the key to good website design is striking a balance between the website design, its functions, and the client's goals.

A.P1 Compare the principles of website design used in two websites, including their suitability for the intended audience and intended purpose.

Answer:

Here are two examples of websites that use different methods to design their website: Amazon and BBC News. They both apply these principles, but in different ways, as they serve different purposes and have different audiences, with clear navigation, consistent layouts, readable text, images and responsive design.

Amazon is an online commerce platform for consumers who wish to shop and search online. It provides clear categories, search options, pictures of the products, prices, reviews and prominent buttons that are prominent help users to find products and to make purchases. It is therefore appropriate for customers, as important information can be found easily. The extensive information on certain pages can lead to a cluttered site, which enhances its function of offering detailed information on products and purchasing.

Mainly, BBC News is developed for individuals who want to get the news and information. It has a clear structure, headings and categories to support the user in locating different news topics and images. Important stories are easy to find with the use of headlines and images. Compared to Amazon, BBC News focuses more on making its pages easy to read and organising a lot of information than on pushing for buying products.

Both websites are responsive, meaning they can be viewed on various devices. Their designs are, however, in accordance with their aims. Amazon's focus is on product discovery and purchase; BBC News' focus is on access to information and readability. Thus, they both display appropriate website design practices, but the practices are used for the needs and purpose of the intended audiences.

A.M1 Analyse how the principles of website design are used to produce creative, high-performance websites that meet client requirements.

Answer:

Website design principles can help you to design attractive, easy-to-use, and effective websites. Amazon and BBC News demonstrate how these principles can be applied for various client needs and applications.

Visual design and consistency are important for creating a professional website. Amazon is consistent with branding, product imagery, colours and buttons to help ease the transaction of online shopping. The layout, clear headlines and images make news content easy to recognise for BBC News. This means that the appearance and design of a web page should reflect the intent of the website and not just its aesthetics.

Usability and navigation also impact performance. Amazon offers search tools, categories, filters and menus of products to help people locate products quickly. A system of topic-based navigation is used at BBC News, allowing people to navigate between sports, business and world news. The relevance of good navigation is that it helps the user to do things more easily and assists both the web and the site to accomplish their goals.

Responsive design enables both website designs to function on desktops, tablets and cell phones. This is crucial since users can log into websites from various devices. A responsive layout enhances accessibility, user experience, and increases the reach of the websites.

Another important rule is performance. Websites should present content in an efficient manner so that users don't have to wait unnecessarily. The use of optimised images, efficient code and suitable use of multimedia can help to improve loading speed. This can be especially crucial for Amazon, as customers are likely to abandon their carts if the product page or checkout process takes too long.

In general, visual design, usability, navigation, responsive design and performance are joined together to produce overall creative and high-performing sites. The principles should be used in accordance with the client's goals and the intended audience. The success of a website, therefore, depends on the fact that it looks professional, as well as facilitating the completion of the tasks it was developed for.

Learning aim B: Design a website to meet client requirements.

BC.D2 Evaluate the design and optimised website against client requirements.

Answer:

The final features and performance of the designed and optimised website can be checked against the original client requirements. The site is professionally designed, with a consistent layout, colours, typography and relevant imagery, creating a professional look and meeting the client's branding needs.

There is a need for users to easily find information on the site, and the site is navigable and usable. Menus, headings and buttons are all easy to read, and it's quite easy to navigate between pages. The site is also mobile-friendly, which means that it operates on all devices, including tablets and mobile devices. This will enable the client to reach users on various devices.

The website has also been optimised for performance, which means that unnecessary content has been removed, images have been optimised, and page structure has been improved. These alterations may enable pages to load quicker and supply a more streamlined user experience. Readable text, suitable colour contrast, and alternative text for images make the website even more accessible for a broad audience.

In conclusion, the overall website is capable of fulfilling the primary client needs as it is visually appealing, functional, responsive, accessible and performance-oriented. Other enhancements might be achieved through ongoing user testing, performance monitoring and user feedback for enhancements. This would keep the website relevant to the client's needs as they evolve.

BC.D3 Demonstrate individual responsibility, creativity and effective self-management in the design, development and review of a website.

Answer:

As I was involved in the design and development of the website, I showcased individual responsibility by planning the work, carrying out the tasks on time and ensuring that the website fulfilled the client's requirements. Built the pages, added the content and tested features for improvements if there were problems.

Impressed by my ability to choose the appropriate colours, fonts, pictures, and layout, making the site look attractive and easy to use. Also, in my decisions about how to present the information and interactive features, I took into account the intended audience.

Effective self-management was demonstrated by organising tasks into stages, setting priorities and managing the available time. Tested the website periodically on various screens to fix layout and navigation issues and slow loading speed.

I have reviewed the finished website in response to the requirements and feedback from testing in the review phase. I recognised usability, appearance and performance areas for improvement and made changes to improve them. This shows that I was responsible for the entire development process, as well as just the initial design.

B.P2 Produce designs for a website that meet client requirements.

Answer:

The client wants to create a professional and user-friendly website for a small fashion brand named “Urban Style” as part of this website project. The primary aim of the site is to promote the business, showcase the clothes offered by them and enable customers to get details regarding the products easily. The audience is young adults who are shopping online and using mobile devices regularly.

The website design will be simple and modern in order to concentrate on the products. On the main page, there will be a logo of the business, a navigation bar, a big image and a brief introduction to the business. There will be a main navigation that will feature Home, Products, About Us, Contact, and Shopping Cart. By keeping these options visible and properly labelled, it will be easier for users to navigate the website.

The Products page will show clothing items with pictures, product names, the price and a short description of the product. Products will be arranged in a grid format to enable customers to easily compare a variety of products. Each product will display a clear button, for example: View Product or Add to Cart. The design caters to the client’s primary need of ease of browsing and purchasing products.

On the About Us page, information about Urban Style will be included, such as its history, values and attitude towards clothing. The Contact page will automatically contain the business address, e-mail address, telephone number and a simple contact form. This will enable customers to reach the company if they have questions.

The site will have a uniform colour scheme and font style on all pages. A limited colour scheme will be used to produce a professional look, and a readable font will ensure ease of understanding. Product images will be available in high quality, as clothing customers want to see products well before buying.

The design will also be responsive, meaning that the layout will automatically adjust for desktops, tablets and smartphones. The buttons and menus will be big enough for touchscreen equipment. Images will be optimised not to unnecessarily slow page load times.

The design will also take into account accessibility. Various users will be able to access the website with suitable colour contrast, readable text, alternative text for the important images and clear headings. The website will also feature a consistent navigation layout, so as not to confuse the user with a new navigation format on each page.

All in all, the proposed design fulfils the requirements of the client and offers a professional, attractive, responsive and easy-to-use website. The design also stresses product presentation, easy navigation and easy accessibility, and the client’s objective is to target young customers and advertise their clothing products online.

B.P3 Review the website design proposals with others to identify and inform improvements.

Answer:

The website designs of the proposed websites for Urban Style were presented to the classmates and to the potential customer and the client to garner feedback prior to the development process. The comments were about layout, navigation, colours, images and appropriateness for the target audience.

The client appreciated the whole design and wanted to make the Products section more prominent, as the primary goal of the website is to sell clothing. This feedback was used to increase the prominence of the product section on the homepage and to add clear buttons to the section.

A potential customer checked the navigation menu and recommended that the labels be simple, like “Home”, “Products”, “About Us” and “Contact”. This was done to ensure a better understanding and navigation of the website.

The reviewers also made comments on the colour scheme and fonts. They felt that if there were too many colours, the website would not look as professional, so it was reduced to a smaller number of colours that are the same throughout. The spacing and size of the fonts were also changed for easier reading.

Advice was also provided on the mobile design. Suggested changes included enlarging the buttons and ensuring that images and text appear properly on smaller screens. So the design was tweaked to be responsive for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. In general, the process of discussing the proposals with others has been helpful in identifying areas that still need improvement before development. The feedback was incorporated into the design to enhance clarity, consistency, navigability, and adaptability to the client's needs and audience.

B.M2 Justify the design decisions, explaining how they will meet the user's needs and be fit for purpose.

Answer:

Certain design decisions in the Urban Style website have been made to accommodate the needs of the target users and requirements of the client. The website aims to advertise a clothing business and showcase its products, allowing customers to easily navigate the website and make purchases. The intended audience is primarily young adults familiar with online shopping and likely to be viewing the site on their smartphones.

The layout of the site is simple and modern, as users should be able to understand the website quickly and easily without being overwhelmed by unnecessary information. The business logo will be on the homepage with a clear navigation menu, a big banner picture and featured products. Key information will be visually emphasised to allow users to easily recognise a product/service. This ensures the website is suitable for its purpose, as it is used to advertise the clothing business and its products.

Home, Products, About Us and Contact will be utilised for a clear navigation system. Such labels are familiar to users and easy to understand, and help users navigate from page to page without getting confused. To make it easier for customers to locate the specific type of clothing they are looking for, categories and filters will be used on the Products page. This cuts down on the amount of time that users are spending searching for products.

Another critical design choice is the quality of the product images used. The clothes show the look and information about clothing to customers before they provide their purchase. Each product will therefore include an image, name, price and short description. The “View Product” and “Add to Cart” buttons will also be helpful in the buying process.

There will be a uniform colour palette and typography throughout the website. A small range of colours will make for a professional look and help to promote brand identity, and readable fonts will ensure that information is easy to understand. There should also be consistency between the pages to make users familiar with the website.

The website will be responsive so that it works effectively on desktops, tablets and smartphones. This is crucial due to the fact that the website’s audience can come from various devices. We will modify buttons, menus and images to make them responsive on smaller screens and thus create a good mobile experience. Last but not least, resources on the website will be optimised to load faster, including images. Faster loading means less frustration and can help to keep users on the site. The design choices result in an attractive, easy-to-use, responsive and goal-oriented website that aims to promote and sell clothing products for the client.

Learning aim C: Develop a website to meet client requirements.

C.P4 Produce a website for an intended audience.

Answer: 

The website Urban Style was created for young adults and those who like fashion and buy clothes online frequently. The primary goal of the website is to advertise the business, showcase the clothing products and make it easy for visitors to get information on the products.

The website has been developed based on the design proposal that was made in the planning phase. The homepage features the logo of Urban Style, a navigation menu, promotional banners and featured products. The site was designed to be as simple as possible, which allows users to easily understand what the site's about and what sections are available.

Home, Products, About Us, and Contact can be found in the navigation menu. These sections enable users to navigate easily through the site. Products page shows clothes with images, product name, price and description. The website has buttons like “View Product” and “Add to Cart,” making it an ideal platform for those looking to shop and explore products.

A consistent colour scheme, typography and layout of the site throughout the pages. Product images have been included to ensure high-quality images, as this is important when customers select clothing. The text is concise and easy to understand, allowing users to easily grasp the content.

The site was also designed to be mobile-friendly. The layout resizes to fit different screens; images, navigation, and buttons resize to fit different screens, enabling users to access the site using their smartphone, tablet or desktop. This is especially recommended for the target group of young learners who might often use mobile devices.

Accessibility was also taken into account during the development. The website was improved to be easier to access by using readable fonts, appropriate colour contrast, clear headings and providing alternative text for key images.

C.P5 Test the website for functionality, compatibility and usability.

Answer:

After the development, the Urban Style website was tested to ensure its suitability and correct functioning with the intended users. There were three major areas tested: Functionality, compatibility and usability. All navigations links were checked for functionality by clicking on them to ensure that they go to the right page. Product buttons, the shopping cart and the contract from were also tested to ensure they behave as they should. Images and menus were checked to ensure that they loaded and worked correctly.

The site was tested on a range of devices to ensure compatibility (a desktop, tablet and smartphone). It was also tested with various browsers, including Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Firefox. The website structure was still usable on all the devices tested, where the spacing and button sizes were adapted for smaller screens.

For usability, other people were asked to carry out various tasks like finding a product, product information, the contact page, etc. Their feedback indicated whether the page layout and navigation were understood. Changes were made to labels and button positions based on feedback to facilitate the website's usability.

The readability and accessibility of the website were also evaluated. Size, contrast in text colour, alternative text for images and structure of the pages were examined. The page load was also assessed for large images or any unnecessary images that may impact the performance.

Overall, testing found that the website was usable, compatible and functional. Problems found in testing were addressed and fixed, and a website was created that better meets the client's needs and provides a better user experience for the intended audience.

C.P6 Review the extent to which the website meets client requirements. 

Answer:

A website audit was performed on the Urban Style website to see if the website fulfils the client's requirements. The key demands were to produce a professional, appealing and simple-to-use web page that will promote clothing products and provide customers with information readily.

The website is visually designed with a consistent colour scheme, appropriate fonts, high-quality images and a clear page layout, which are suitable for the visual design requirements. The branding is consistently used throughout the website, creating a professional and suitable appearance for a clothing business.

Navigation and usability of the website are also met. The main menu includes obvious links to the Home, Products, About Us and Contact pages. Images, prices and product descriptions are used to provide information about the product, making it easy for customers to access important information without expending any effort.

Responsive design has also been implemented. It has been tested at desktop, tablet and smartphone screen sizes, and it adapts to other devices. This enables the client to connect with various kinds of customers.

The website also conforms to minimum standards for accessibility and performance. Text is legible, and alternative text is provided for key images with colour contrast taken into account. Images have also been optimised to help improve loading speed.

There might be further room for development in some places. For instance, the website might add more advanced product filters, customer reviews and other e-commerce capabilities in the future. The improvements may help the site be more helpful as the business expands.

The website generally fulfils the primary customer needs well. It's professional, offers clear navigation, is responsive, and offers appropriate product information. Continual improvements can be implemented in line with the requirements of the business and feedback from customers.

C.M3 Optimise a website to meet client requirements.

Answer:

The Urban Style website has been optimised following tests to provide it with enhanced performance, usability and to better satisfy the client's requirements. The optimisation process has been centred around page speed, responsiveness, navigation, images and accessibility.

Images were optimised; that is, the size of the image was minimised while preserving the quality of the image. This speeds up the loading time of the pages – particularly helpful for customers accessing the website using mobile devices or low bandwidth. Some images and content on the page were also removed as they were not required.

The website design was tested on various screen sizes, and its responsive design was enhanced. The structure, images, navigation menu and buttons were tweaked to ensure they look good across all platforms, including smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. This helps to make the website more user-friendly on various devices.

The system was also tested and enhanced for navigation purposes. Menu text was kept to a minimum and standardised, and key buttons like “View Product” and “Add to Cart” were made more salient. It enables customers to navigate the website and to get access to the products with minimum effort.

Readable fonts, appropriate colour contrast, clear headings and alternative text for important images ensured improvements to accessibility. The changes improve the accessibility and usability of the website for a broader audience.

The website was also tested for broken links and any malfunctions. Forms and interactive buttons were retested following modifications, and links were corrected as appropriate. This made it easier to ensure that optimisation didn't create new issues.

These changes in general enhanced the website's speed, usability, responsiveness and accessibility without sacrificing its visual design. The optimisation resulted in Urban Style delivering the client's needs in a more effective manner and delivering a better experience for the client's intended audience.