Methodology
Through strategic, dynamic design methods, Quiet Science is able to provide complex solutions to meet the growing needs of enthusiastic businesses. The same techniques are also employed to allow the provision of a higher class of web presence to individuals or businesses with a smaller budget.
Quiet Science will work closely with each client to ensure a good level of communication of ideas with the aim of achieving 100% product satisfaction.
Dynamic Design
A leap from static HTML coding to a more strategic, dynamic design method is demanded in order to provide a swift, professional and reliable service. By designing sites using generic templates and server side scripting, code can be stored in a central reusable library allowing a great reduction in site development times and an overall heightening of product quality.
Each application developed by Quiet Science is powered by a powerful server side software system which has been designed in-house using object-oriented software development techniques. The software provides a robust, flexible foundation to each application allowing project-specific modules to be built on top and benefit from its functionality. Designing systems in this way greatly reduces site development times by allowing re-use of areas of functionality which are of benefit to a great number of applications. Abstracting away from the general functionality of the application allows Quiet Science to concentrate on the intricacies of a particular project in order to provide a much more tailored solution to the client.
Good Practice
On every project Quiet Science is involved in, a strong emphasis is placed on compatibility and adhering to the current good practice guidelines set down by the World Wide Web Consortium. Following these guidelines results in cleaner code which is more easily maintainable and accessible to all users. In addition the resultant code is leaner thus shortening download times and reducing unnecessary bandwidth use.
The output of each application is constructed using strict XHTML 1.1 and CSS.
Every effort is made to ensure accessibility issues are addressed in the structure and layout of each page. Simple design considerations, such as ensuring important text is not hidden away in images to allow the use of speak aloud readers, are often overlooked by many developers. Quiet Science places such important accessibility matters at the forefront of its design strategy.
Structure vs Design
Firstly project specific modules are built to provide functionality and display the content and structure of each particular project. The output from the application is then skinned using CSS to create an original look and feel for the site.
In most cases the styling is added only once the structure and content of the site is implemented. This prevents design considerations inhibiting the creation of an intuitive and complete structure which presents sufficient but not unnecessary content. In addition, the design stage may progress swiftly and efficiently without being hindered by major structure reshuffles or ceaseless content additions.
Another benefit of separating the design of the application from the functionality and structure is that it allows the site to be partly or wholly redesigned without affecting the underlying software whatsoever. In addition, the application can be given several different looks if need be. Layout and colour scheme can, for example, be changed for visually impaired users or users viewing the site through different means.