The core function of what I do has always been front end development, which has expanded over the years along with the advancement of the Internet. Front end development is not as complicated as it seems, but it certainly involves visual sensitivity and a programmatic austerity. Let me explain…

What is Front End Development?

Front end development is a mix of HTML, CSS and JavaScript, also referred to collectively as DHTML, used to make a project look good and function well. At Verndale this step is used to prepare your project's designs to be integrated into a content management system (CMS) by our Engineering Department.

Why is Front End Development important?

This step insures that your content will be well laid out, easily readable, search-friendly, and accessible. All of this is done through the standards Verndale has set up to ensure that throughout the lifecycle of the project any changes can be done efficiently, while still being sensitive to budgets and timelines. To make sure we stay conscious of these issues we prepare for each project's needs by placing our standards under a constant internal review.

Our goal for these standards is to make our production efficient; therefore, manageable even at later stages in the project's life cycle. Since we are always reviewing and improving our work internally we are able to preemptively catch many of the issues that arise in the later stages of a project. This allows us to stay efficient during this stage and later stages, while also saving time and money during the entire project's development cycle. Experience has taught us that time saved early on exponentially saves time later on and that saves money for each project.

At what point in the project process would we see front end development?

If we are developing a project for you, front end development is part of the package. We will handle the transition from the creative designs to the back end development. We will also be part of the Quality Assurance during the later part of the project's cycle, assuring the site works as it was expected before its final stage.

For web consulting work we will be reviewing the quality of your current website to see if it holds up to the quality we see as important for your project success. Some of the things we look for in these reviews are the website's speed performance, its content's layout for search ability and its adherence to 508 requirements for accessibility if it has any government requirements. The specific testing depends on your project's needs.

In Conclusion…

Though the front end development stage of a project is usually hidden, it is still important for you to understand the needs of this step and the benefits it provides to a project's success. With our experience we provide an efficient transition to the back end development - and that allows your project to be done right the first time.