website tree?

[zoran]

Is there a professional way/word to name the "tree" or "skeleton" of a website? The way or steps, that a web site is constructed?

 

[hg.wells]

Website tree / page layout map or structure is a standard term. Then a wireframe mock-up of the page layout.

 

[zoran]

What exactly is a "wireframe mock-up"?

 

[hg.wells]

Something like this, where you mock-up what the page will look like before creating it:

 

[zoran]

Would you say that a web tree is vital for a web designer to start creating a website? Especially when the websites content is large?

 

[admwright]

I would say the the main structure is important. So this would give the main top level groups and possibly sub-groups within them. This lets you see where the different content would be presented. Say it is an artists website, from the home page you might have items like 'gallery of paintings', 'exhibitions', 'work for sale' etc. Within these there might be other groupings, so the 'gallery' has sections for the subject matter (landscape, architectural etc) or may be by medium (oils, pastels, etc).
When you are using a CMS then the structure can be dynamic in presentation to the site visitor as you might allow them to filter for items of interest (landscapes in oils) now the structure is more fluid and not fixed.