Though not a novice designer I'd like some/any input on an upcoming project.

I've been asked to create a Bureau of Fire Web site.
I'd like the site to be a 'Web 2.0' design style.

The site needs to have multiple administrators i.e 5 different station chiefs and 3 Borough Chiefs editing both different and combined areas of the site.

Of course these editors would need a simple wysiwyg backend intereface to put things like station history, member roll, calls, pictures etc. etc in.

Thoughts?


What application would you use to develop this?
How would you go about doing the back-end interface etc?
Would this be php?

I'd like the site to be a 'Web 2.0' design style.

Web2.0 is about user interaction, customised content and the rest of it. I take it you mean a style of designing with lots of gradients etc?

The site needs to have multiple administrators i.e 5 different station chiefs and 3 Borough Chiefs editing both different and combined areas of the site.

Of course these editors would need a simple wysiwyg backend intereface to put things like station history, member roll, calls, pictures etc. etc in.

Thoughts?


What application would you use to develop this?
How would you go about doing the back-end interface etc?
Would this be php?

Sounds like a job for Content Management System to handle the content and administration. If you used a premade one all the backend would be done anyway and all you would have to do is modify the tempates to suit. Most likely PHP/mySQL but if you're on Windows hosting ASP would be fine.

Now, you'll probably get all the regular suggestions like Joomla and Wordpress but investigate all your options first - just because one script is popular it doesn't necessarily make it right for the site at hand. Also remember the people that will maintain the site - they have to understand how to use it as well.

You can try out free CMS's at http://www.opensourcecms.com/ and there's awhole load including some excellent commercial ones at http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/Content_Management/index.html

Yes, I agree. Content management applications would be a good starting point. Go with open source because you can use it for free and do whatever you want with it (most of the time).

open source is the only way to go but did you read the news about PHP developers not doing a good job with security?

Did you read about Microsoft programmers not doing a good job with security?