Note: 4 members of the re-design team are editing in another document but will continue to update here. Please notify Kieran if you'd like to edit this document and I'll work to make sure we an incorporate your changes.
Development Guidelines:
Different requirements for different sub-sites.
drupal.org
From the wishlist Dries gathered
* A Possibility to display/entering ratings for modules shall be provided.
Ratings must be visible on the download page of the module and on module overview pages
* Documentation must be given a structure that is easy to understand especially for newcomers to Drupal
* Faster page loads for the entire site. A concept how to archeive this (sensible use of splitting the domain into more subsites?)
with a concept to still ensure site-wide search on all sub-sites
* Improve search itself and provide a concept for detailed search that reflects the structure of the site
* Improve navigation and create a hierachical concept for navigation. While it does not make sense to provide a fully hierachical
navigation - provide a navigation that provides enough hiarchy to easily navigate into the correct section of the site
(e.g. Handbook - contributed modules should be easy to access via sub-menus)
* A Marketplace for Drupal services that provides at least simple classified ads / forums function and enables the user to
easily get an overview of new jobs. Provide a structure for different kinds of jobs (e.g. categories: theming / module development /
needing freelancer on long term / complete site production)
* User ratings: give users the possibility to rate other users concerning their knowledge / helpfulness whatever. Also an automatic rating
based on contributions to the website itself.
* Provide subscriptions to forum threads / other content: this was a performance issue so far. Provide a concept to solve this performance issue.
* (I leave out Documentation in PDF format, for this is a user task or extra job)
* Provide a marketing concept for Drupal or marketing ideas covering onsite, offsite and offline media
Furthermore
The frontpage's goal is to inform and orient visitors to specific sections. several types have been identified :
- Evaluators -> About Drupal
- Getting involved in drupal -> Contribute
- Learning drupal -> Handbook
- Developers -> Future dev landing page?
- Possible sponsors -> Drupal Association?
The frontpage should encourage visitors to:
* sign-up for a Drupal.org account
* sign up for the security list
* subscribe to the RSS feed
And help them find:
* good Drupal hosting
* support for using Drupal
* get paid support
* documentation
* books, training being available
* events coming up in their area
* some good examples of Drupal in use
General guidelines for drupal.org:
* insert wishlist diagram. This is a wishlist from people from the community who already know Drupal. Features needed by other types of users may not be listed (evaluators, newcomers...).
* The most relevant topics from the wishlist, for the RFP, are Better structure/navigation, and Ratings for modules (new landing page?)
groups.drupal.org
api.drupal.org
association.drupal.org
Design Guidelines:
The web site designed by the successful candidate must meet the following criteria:
* Visually Appealing – The site must have an attractive look that suits the targeted audience.
* Common Theme – Each section of the site should have a common look and feel. Commons key elements are the logo, color (historically, a blue hue).
* Consistent Design – As stated above, each section of the site should have a common look and feel. The use of photographs, fonts and layouts should be consistent throughout the site.
* Easy to Navigate – The site should be easy to navigate. Information should be grouped and presented in a logical manner and require. This is #5 on the community wishlist.
* To help understand all kinds of audiences, personas have been written: http://groups.drupal.org/node/3761
Drupal specific requirements:
* Existing Content – There is a lot of content on the website that must be kept without changes in structure or format to avoid data migration. Existing content types must remain unchanged.
* Any design element (photographs, icons, illustrations) must be compatible with the GPL license.
* Once the web site has been completed and accepted by the Drupal Association, the web site design and all of its contents, software, derivatives and architecture become property of the Drupal Association.
Site Specifications:
The Drupal Association encourages creativity in the proposals submitted; however there are certain requirements for the web site project. Your proposal must account for all of these requirements.
* Site must be compatible with IE version 6.0 and higher, and with major browsers used by Drupal.org's audience (Firefox, Safari, Opera).
* Web site must not require plug-ins as a default.
* Meets ADA Requirements – The site should be developed to meet all Federally-mandated access requirements adopted by the Federal Access Board under section 508 subsection 1194.22 of the Rehabilitation Act. Do we need this?
* Site must be built in accordance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, provided by the W3C and should also be easily accessible to the novice as well as the experienced Internet user.
* The theme must produce valid HTML and CSS.
* Pages loading – The web site must be designed with a balance of text and graphics such that each page loads fast on an average computer. This is #3 on the community wishlist.