Gromedia’s Web Design Process Explained

mockup-of-a-musician-using-an-imac-37031-r-el2

Our Web Design Process Explained

Designing a website is a huge project, especially if it’s being done from scratch, so it often helps to understand what the process will look like before getting started. Having a clear process to follow makes it easier not only for us as web designers, but the client knows what will happen at each stage of the process. Without any kind of process or plan in place, then it becomes much more difficult to create a website that meets the needs of our clients.

This process can be a bit overwhelming at the beginning, so we’ve broken it down into 8 easy steps, as follows:

Project Definition
Project Scope
Asset Creation
Creating the Website
Feedback
Testing
Final Approval & Launch
Ongoing Support

1. Project Definition

The project definition is the most important part of the process as it underlines the goals and aims of the website. Without clearly understanding our clients vision, it’s difficult to create a website that meets the needs of their customers.

We’ll meet with our clients and discuss what they hope to achieve from the finished website, as well who their target audience are and the key messages we should use to engage them. We can discuss competitors – either to benchmark against, or differentiate ourselves from.

To create a detailed project definition we’ll need to research your audience, business and the industry your operate in as a whole.

Of course what’s also important to discuss here is the budget, because it determines exactly what we’ll be able to do in the project and how much time we spend on it.

2. Project Scope

Following on from the project definition, we’ll create a project scope.

Here we outline clearly what will be involved in the project, i.e., the tasks we’ll undertake to reach the end goal of the website. The project scope sets expectations for the client and also puts us in a position where we know exactly what we need to do.

The specific activities and timelines for the different activities can be underlined, setting a clear picture for how the project will look in the weeks to come.

3. Asset Creation and Development

Once the plan is in place, it’s time to create and develop the assets that will be used for the website. This involves images, videos, content, logos & branding or any other elements to be featured on the website.

Essentially, without this you have a very empty looking website. This may be a simple case of taking the assets from an old website and copying them over, or developing new assets and purchasing appropriate stock imagery.

By the end of this stage we should have the majority of assets we need, so we can get started on the website straight away. This means we don’t have to gather assets whilst the website is in development, saving valuable time.

4. Creating the Website

Now comes the fun part, creating the website! This involves:

Creation of Sitemaps – The first step is usually to create a sitemap as this is this builds the foundations of the website’s informational architecture, explaining the relationship between various pages and content elements.

Design – Often the design of a website will be shaped by existing branding elements, colours and logos from the client (which is why the asset creation stage is so important). We discuss the design with our clients, potentially taking inspiration from competitor websites and get started on developing the site.

Content Creation – What’s important at this stage is to review the current content in place and whether it accurately reflects the brand and tone of voice. We then create better content that drives engagement and action, compelling the target audience to convert.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) – There’s no use in having a great website if it’s not visible to search engines, so an important step in our web design process is to ensure that your site is search engine optimised. It should rank higher than your competitors in the google search results.

5. Feedback

At Gromedia, we recognise the importance of our client’s feedback. This isn’t just when we launch the website, but at every key stage of the web design process.

We don’t want to create a website that our clients aren’t happy with or doesn’t meet their demands, so will always value our clients opinion above all else.

Feel free to point out anything you’d like changed. We’ll happily revise and amend your website so you can be assured the website is exactly how you’d like it before we start testing.

6. Testing

Before the website is complete, we need to test it to ensure all links, pages and elements are working as they should. Load time is paramount, so any pages that aren’t quick to load will have to be optimised.

We’ll test the website on different browsers and devices to ensure the website works perfectly no matter how you’re accessing it. A big part of this is making sure that the website is mobile optimised, as a large percentage of web traffic will come from mobile sources.

It may not be the most exciting part of the process, but it’s important to fix any issues that present themselves so the website is ready to launch!

7. Final Approval & Launch

After taking into account your feedback, we’ll make the changes and get the website looking as polished as possible.

When that is done, we’ll get in contact and make sure you’re happy with the finished product and it has your final approval.

Now all that’s left is to set a date for launch and make the website live!

8. Ongoing Support

While we aim to create websites that run smoothly without maintenance required, there will come times where issues may need to be fixed and content will need to be updated. We offer an ongoing service to our clients to maintain and optimise the website, updating it with content where you see fit.

However, if you desire to take a more active approach in maintaining your website, we are happy to train you on how to use the content management system to update the website and fix errors.

Either way, you should have a website that runs smoothly for years to come!