Our Purpose

Diane Gere Associates offers you a logical Web site design that conveys your professional image and is compatible with the look of your current logo and print materials. Our Basic Design Service is currently $600 when you team with us, providing ready-to-use components for a site, which include electronic files of text and high-quality images. (See "Why Have a Website")

We have developed our Basic Design Service for owners of smaller businesses. That owner may have felt limited by design quotes in the thousands of dollars or by an uncertainty that comes from a lack of experience with the "world of the Web." DGA's aim is not only to provide you with a tasteful site but also to educate you about the process as we step through it, so that you gain comfort with the Web.

If you eventually desire additional services, they are available on an hourly or negotiated fee basis. In either case—selecting a Basic Design or choosing the additional services listed below—Diane Gere Associates approaches the design as a collaboration with you so that you feel ownership of your site
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Basic Design Service

Planning the Basic Design. A Basic Design includes preparation of a home page and up to five additional pages. As we develop a concept for the site, we focus on the "look" of your pages along with the logical organization of links ("navigation"). A concept includes:
• Arrangement into a pleasing format of electronic text and images you provide.
• Selection of an attractive color palette.
• Design of a basic banner. See examples of "Basic Banners" and "Beyond Basic".
• Planning of a navigation system.
• Preparation of your good-quality images for Web use (using Photoshop software's image adjustment capabilities and cropping).
• Identification and placement of "key words."

During design, we show you examples of the work in progress. The examples include one or two design themes for your site. By exchanging ideas, the design theme may be adjusted as the work progresses. An example of an adjustment is selection of a different color palette and layout. The Basic Design provides the opportunity for making adjustments twice during production.

Going "Live." If you do not have a preferred ISP and wish DGA to handle the details of going live, then our Basic Design service includes assistance in starting an account with Internet Express. Internet Express, which has highly competent personnel and reliable state-of-the-art equipment, offers three levels of accounts for small- and medium-sized businesses, beginning at approximately $10 per month for hosting on their server. If you already have a relationship with another Internet Service Provider (ISP), we will provide you a CD-ROM of your final design site.

Ensuring Quality. During the design phase, we evaluate the design's balance and palette on six or more Associates' computer monitors. A design may look somewhat different in proportion and coloration on old versus new monitors, through various computer settings for resolution and color calibration, and using different internet browser software, such as Internet Explore or Netscape.

Maintaining Your Site. After the site goes on-line, the Basic Design service includes two free months of follow-up service. The follow-up time is another step toward ensuring quality so that your site is error-free.

After the two-month follow-up period, you may wish us to continue maintaining your site. In that case, we document our time spent until at least one hour is reached, and then we invoice you for that hour. The documentation is kept on a page of your web site so that you can access it for details of update activities and charges. (View the update worksheet.)

Training for updating your own site is available for a fee.

Adding Services

Beyond the Basic Design, you may wish to add other services. These services may be engaged at an hourly rate or a negotiated total fee.

• Additional pages (after the homepage and five follow-up pages of the Basic Design)
• On-site photography.
• Original graphics and visual arts. "Beyond Basic" original banner designs are arranged at an hourly or negotiated fee.
• Photoshop™ enhancement of images beyond cropping and automatic adjustment (e.g., removing backgrounds or creating special effects).
• Developing your text for you.
• Organizing and editing your materials.
• Focus groups for developing a vision of the site.
• Formal presentations to officers and boards.
• Site development and consulting time beyond the Basic Design package.
• Special site design features (e.g., roll-over images, password protection, animation, database capability).
• Site maintenance after the initial two months.
• Scanning of images and documents.
• Word processing of nonscannable text.
• Training you if you wish to learn how to update your own site.
• Instructional Design for educating and training personnel.

If you are pleased with the results after you use our Basic Design service, we hope you will consider Diane Gere Associates for your future professional and technical communications needs. (See Bio and a list of Associates.)

Client Sites

Design and Maintenance:

• Iowa Dept of Education Professional Development Model Training Manual
• Iowa Dept of Education Content Network
• Wagschal Furniture, Davenport & Urbandale (formerly Amish Haus)
• Anmed Medical Services
• ReStore of the Quad Cities
• Ken Swartz Homes
• Village of East Davenport
• The Soap Box in the Village of East Davenport
• Wallace's Garden Center & Greenhouses
• L.L. Vandi Designs - Lisa Mahar, Artist
• VillageWorksUSA
• K9 Consulting Services
• SGGM Architects and Interior Designers
• Iowa Dept of Education Every Student Counts (protected)
• Iowa Dept of Education Second Chance Reading (protected)