Tools for planning a sitemap?

Looking for tool to plan a website sitemap

[SorenG]

Hi,

I'm looking for a tool so I can create a sitemap (hierarchy) for future websites.

Is there any tool/website where you can structure a map, print it out and THEN build your website with that as your architectual map?

Thanks guys for your help in advance.

SorenG

[Marcia]

The sitemap tools out there don't create a logical,hierarchical structure, but this does:

Theme Pyramid Navigation:

[webmasterworld.com...]

[SorenG]

Thanks Marcia.

However, I'm looking for something a little less "complex" - so to speak. The sites I build are not too complex and are usually aimed at small/medium sized companies. THerefore, I just wanted a planner (?) to keep a constant overview and reminder of what I'm building and where the pages go.

[Jon_King]

Honestly, I build some pretty complex sites using PowerPoint. I use the quasi-charting tools. Essentially starting with the index page on the top tier and adding levels beneath using boxes with the filename... this is just a real simple and fast way to build a visual flow chart.

I then have a corresponding word doc split with each filename heading. Under the filename heading comes each of the Meta tags, the copy and filenames of images for that specific page. Ending with special instructions...

[Marcia]

SorenG, I work with all small and medium-small sites, and that's how I've structured them, from day one. In fact the very first "commercial" site I ever did used that very structure - by accident. :)

There were about 5-6 pages on the site, which had been put into a sub-directory on a free host (using MS Publisher) with an empty root. It made sense to create a root index page and put the product types (3) into separate sub-directories to allow for growth and link them from the homepage as "categories." It worked, I did the next one that way, that worked, and why fix what isn't broken?

For brochure type sites, or ones that fit well all in the root directory, you can still plan it out visually, and aside from the old pencil and paper diagram, which is whiteboarding or storyboarding, flowcharting navigation works well. While we can't post "tools" sites here, there's a capability built right into MS Office to do flowcharts. If they work for programming, they'll definitely work for mapping out site navigation.

I think linking to Microsoft's instructions will be OK, and should be helpful:

Draw flowcharts with Word and PowerPoint
[office.microsoft.com...]

I usually rough sites out with pencil and paper flowcharting before I start building, to map out the structure (and page names) and navigation flow.

[SorenG]

Marcia and Jon_king:

Thank you both! For the world of me - I have absolutely no idea why I didn't bother to think if there was a tool in MS. Publisher is perfect for what I'm looking for.

Once again, thank you both and Happy Friday!