How to Brainstorm the design and architecture of a BIG website ?

I have couple of ideas on which I want to build my site. I really want my site to be really good and being a webmaster for 3 years now, I know there is a huge different between thinking and coming up exactly with that (mostly this happens due to budget constraints)

I have the the basic structure of the site on paper but don't know how to proceed it from there. Can someone help me on this ? How are these huge portals built ? How them keep the communication with coders ? What about documentation ?

In short, I am just looking for guidelines and may be some softwares which will help me in taking my idea to next level.

Thanks

 

Just build it step by step

Start from small and then gradually implement all idea

Regards

Alex

 

Thanks Alex for replying.

Actually I am not new in building websites and have build sites which have more than 160 mysql tables! and from that experience I have realized that careful and organized start is very important because one mistake/wrong decision in site structure will become very big as the site grows. Also I feels when I starts building site, I need something more than just design specification on a peice of paper

 

Write the requirements first in "business"/ user language not technical in a numbered list. Interlink the dependancies against each one so the requirement that a login allows someone to check a box to say to remember them is dependant on the login being required.

It can help to draw out a flow network of the user/ admin etc's experience on the site to ensure you have covered off all the business requirements.

From this you can draw a network diagram of the requirements which will show a number of root requirements that arent dependant on any other requirements.

Then look at a technical view and for each root requirement write what technically needs to happen to enable that business requirement to be delivered and against each one write the business requirement number that it enables. Once you have covered these you build up on the 1st tier requirements etc.

You will then have two documents that can be traced back to the requirements. A quick sense check is to make sure every business requirement is covered off.

The final stage generally is to regroup the technical aspects to a more logical order (eg all db elements together) and you can then spot synergies for improving the technical design.

For the UI look and feel it is generally much more a case of doing the concept diagrams, create the template and build the components in - if your CSS and code is well written there is generally very little rework required

 

Thanks a lot, it is what i was looking for