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We take you behind the scenes to show you our web design process in detail, so you know exactly what to expect from us and how we’ll go about bringing your vision to life.
You have decided that you want a new website, but where do you begin? There are so many choices.
Sometimes crating a website can feel like navigating a maze, but it can also be an incredibly exciting journey. At our web design agency, we understand how overwhelming the process can seem at the beginning. That’s why we’re here to support you every step of the way, from your initial idea to the launch of your brand-new site and beyond. If you choose to work with us, we will guide you through each phase of the journey with care and expertise.
In this article, we will take you behind the scenes to show you our web design process in detail, so you know exactly what to expect form us and how we’ll go about bringing your vision to life.
Sounds good? Let’s begin!
The Initial Project Brief
Our journey begins with the initial project brief.
In this first step you get in touch with us to tell us about your new exciting project. There are no rules here on how to do this. Perhaps you have thought about it in great detail, perhaps you only have a rough outline. Either way, we will engage in detailed discussions with you to understand your idea, your business, your target audience, your competition, the functionalities your site will need to have, and more.
We will provide feedback, share our experience from previous projects, and propose ways to make your ideas work. Of course, you are the ultimate decision-maker, and we are only here to advise you and offer assistance. You will have a final say on all design decisions.
Step by step, a more complete picture will emerge based on your initial idea. Together, we will be able to answer the most important questions:
- What purpose will the website serve?
- Who will be its target audience?
- What key features and functionalities will be required?
- What are the specific design preferences and brand guidelines to follow?
- What is the project timeline and budget?
This initial project brief and our subsequent discussions about it will serve as the foundation for the entire project, ensuring that we have a clear enough understanding of your vision and requirements.
Of course, details can and almost certainly will be changed later, but we will be able to move on to the next step.
Creating the Brand (If Necessary)
At this point in the journey, if you have an existing brand, logo, color palette, font selection, images and photos you would like to include in the site, you will send them all to us so we can incorporate them on the website. Ideally, if you have a brand book, we will use it as a guide.
But what if you’re just starting your new business and don’t have a brand identity yet? Or you want to use the occasion to refresh or replace your old brand? Don’t worry! Together we will create a strong brand identity for you before we move on with the website. This step is crucial because it will form the basis for our subsequent web design decisions.
The brand identity will include:
- A logo
- Color palette
- Typography
- Overall visual style
For more on our branding process, read this article.
Determining the Scope of the Project
Now that we have the brand identity in place, we can move on to determining the scope of the project.
In essence, we will need to decide what your new website should be able to do out of the box and what is the best way to go about ensuring that it adds value to your business. We will determine what pages and functionalities the website should have and what will be the best way to structure its content. Depending on your budget, we can either start small with the essentials, leaving room for future upgrades, or we can create a larger website from the get-go. We will prioritize what is most important to you and your target audience.
Based on this, we will create a detailed project plan that includes:
A list of all required pages and features
Once we know what pages your site will contain, for example: Home, Services, Pricing, About Us, Contact, we will decide on what sections each page will contain. For example, a Home page might include an introduction to your business, a brief overview of your products and/or services, a short mission statement, testimonials, FAQ, etc. These separate pieces of information will be organized in sections, containing not only text, but also pictures, icons, videos, animations.
A breakdown of responsibilities and deliverables
Depending on your preferences and budget, some of the content for the website can be produced by you, us, or a third party. To avoid confusion and delays, it is important to know who will do what and in what timeframe. For example, the website copy (the text content of your site) can be written by you, us, or a third-party copywriter.
The same goes for pictures, photos, videos, etc. If you want to include content on the website that you want to produce yourself but do not have yet (for example pictures of yourself or your new office) we can put in stock imagery as placeholders.
A timeline with milestones and deadlines for each phase of the project
Once we know the outline of what the website will contain, who will produce it and in what order of priority, we will create a timeline with milestones and deadlines for each phase of the project. This will allow us to align expectations and ensure clarity about the project.
A budget breakdown for each component of the project
Finally, before we begin designing the website, we will present you with a complete budget breakdown of the project. If there are alternatives to an item in the budget, they will be listed and you will be able to choose among them.
Having this detailed plan ready will ensure that we are all on the same page and we will then be ready to begin designing your new website.
Initial Web Design Variants
Once we have defined and agreed upon the project scope, we will proceed to the initial design phase. In it, we will create several web design variants and present them to you to choose from. They will represent variations on the general theme set by your brand identity in the previous steps, emphasizing different aspects of your message. They will also contain different layout options for the content displayed on your website. Ideally, you will be able to choose one of the design directions or some mixture of them. Perhaps you will want to keep the layout of option A but the visual style of option B.
Whatever you choose, we will take your feedback into account, provide our own and iteratively work towards the design that fits your needs best.
Second Wave of Web Design Changes
Based on the feedback from the initial design review, we will proceed with the second wave of web design changes.
This phase will involve refining the chosen design variant, making necessary adjustments, and ensuring that all elements are cohesive and aligned with the brand identity. Ideally, all content that will be in the final website should be at hand so you can see how the actual copy fits together with your chosen images, photos, icons, videos, etc. If something doesn’t feel right or out of place, we will make changes as needed.
This iterative process will continue until you’re satisfied with the final design, ensuring a polished and professional result.
Building the Website on Webflow
Now that the design of your new site is finished and approved, we will move on to the development phase.
We build websites exclusively on Webflow.
If you decide that you want your website built on another platform or by someone else, we will deliver the finished web design to you and our involvement in the project will end there. If you choose to continue working with us, we will build the website on Webflow according to the design we agreed upon.
At this point your website will begin to “come to life”. It will have functioning menus, buttons and animations. You will be able to interact with this prototype and request tweaks to it. On our end, we will ensure that the site is fast, responsive and works seamlessly on all devices. We will implement any required functionalities, such as contact forms, and integrate any necessary plugins. We can also implement a Content Management System (CMS) to make parts of the site dynamic.
We will use all tools available to us in Webflow’s native SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to ensure that the site is optimized for search engines. We will make sure that the site is accessible to as many people as possible, such as users with disabilities.
Finally, we will present you options on how to ensure compliance with data protection regulations and how to address any legal considerations you may have. Your new website will be set for launch.
Linking the Domain to the Site
Once the site development is complete, we will need to link a domain to the new website.
If you have already purchased a domain, you can grant us access to your account at the provider where you purchased it (for example, GoDaddy). We will then configure all necessary settings in order to ensure that the domain is correctly pointed to your Webflow site.
If you haven’t chosen a domain yet, we can help you and guide you through all the steps of the process. It’s usually quick and easy!
Site Launch and Beyond
At this point your site is fully developed, tested, and ready to go. All we need is your go-ahead to publish it to your chosen domain and it will become accessible within hours, sometimes within minutes. You will then be able to visit it, test it, show it to clients and friends, and celebrate your achievement.
Our commitment to you, however, does not end there. We will remain at your service for any tweaks, changes, and bug fixes you might require.
As your business grows and evolves, we are also always ready to discuss site upgrades. All of our sites are built in a way that enables them to be easily upgraded without needing to start from scratch. For example, you might want to add a blog to your website along with an interface that allows you to write articles in it without our involvement. No problem!
We can also train you and your employees to make cosmetic changes to the site, such as changing a picture here or there, or removing typos. We can also show you how to keep track of incoming contact form submissions.
Of course, we will always pick up the phone if you need anything from us!
Conclusion
As we have shown in this article, creating a beautiful, functional, fast reliable and secure website that adds value to you and your clients involves planning, collaboration and execution.
Our web design process has come about through years of experience with real projects. We rigorously follow and improve upon it to deliver websites that meet your needs and help you achieve your goals.
We hope that you now feel inspired to make your own website project a reality!
We are happy to help.
Get in touch today!
