Other articles
The website design process
Over the years we have developed a reliable process that ensures each stage of development runs smoothly. It's vital that you as a customer understand each phase of the process to get the most out of your website.
1. Project requirements.
This is really the most important stage of the entire web build process. Getting the requirements right. We make it our job to ask the right questions (see our article 'What's right for me?') and understand your business to the point it may seem like an interview! Its vital that we understand how you operate, your business goals, your marketing strategy, your customers and obviously, what the goals of the website are.
Over the many years we’ve come to realise the process and questions are the same for most if not all businesses, so to help us, we’ve created a list of questions that come with us to our meeting with you that ensures we get all the information we need.
2. Specification.
Once costs have been agreed, we then put together the full website specification. This will include a detailed breakdown of how all the elements work, what the website will do exactly, plus details of your training for any systems that you’ll need to use, hosting and any marketing. Its imperitive that you read through and understand this document as it forms the basis of which we will be working from for the duration of the project. We will run through it with you to ensure it’s clear and meets your original requirements and or brief.
3. Scheduling.
Once the specification has been agreed, we all know what we have to do, we then look at scheduling tasks and setting deadlines. Its important you are aware of these as much as we are, so you are never left wondering where we are on the project. For this, you will be given a project flow chart that highlights your areas of input and checkpoints for areas of completion : e.g. Design, build etc.
That's the admin out of the way, now the actual development begins...
4. Research and design – Phase I
Depending on the size and scope of the project the design phase can take many forms. For some projects it will be simply a matter of us taking the specification and brief, completing a design consultation with you and then developing a series of comps (mock ups) that are then presented to you online in a web browser. We generally prefer to talk through the designs with you and explain functionality etc, and of course, take any feedback you may wish to provide.
For more complex projects, we include any or all of the following:
Information architecture
Planning how the content of the site will link and display
Wire framing
Developing designs without using the interference of colour and imagery to ensure the hierarchy and structure of the site’s layout it correct
Mood boards
To ascertain the right colour, feel, style and typography before putting them into a design
Usability studies
Testing the website on real people to find out what works and what doesn’t in terms of user interface.
5. Front end build – Phase II
('Front end' refers to the actual face of the website - what people see in their web browser.)
Once the design is complete and everyone is happy that it looks and feels just right, we can proceed to the build stage. This begins with development of HTML and CSS.
This is essentially taking the 'drawing' of the website created in phase 1 and turning it into a working version using the language of the web - HTML.
We develop everything 'live'. This means you get a dedicated web address where only you can see what's happening before the new site goes live.
6. Back end build - Phase III
('Back end' refers to Content management system (CMS)- that allows you to manage the website content.)
Once the design and build of the front facing part of the website has been completed, it get's handed over to the programming team to make the 'clever stuff' happen so you can eventually update the website yourself. (If your project requires it of course)
This process is less visable than previous phases, mainly because it's creating databases and a LOT of code that talks to the database - you really don't want to see this part !
Once this bit is done, we'll call you and train you on how to use the system - you can then begin putting your content on!
7. Link up - Phase IV
So now we have a front end section, and a management system to control it, the next phase is to connect the 2 together. It's at this stage it really starts to get exciting as you can see all your content appearing on the site.
8. Launch! - Phase V
This phase speaks for itself! Upon completion of the everything, we will put it live on the world wide web for all to see!
There will always been slight changes and amends that occur either pre or post launch and we recognise this and will advise the best way possible.
