Web Design Process
- Project Definition
The most critical step in the web design process is creating an accurate project definition. A project definition includes a project brief and a project plan. The short survey at the bottom of this page is used to gather the information needed to develop the project brief and plan.
- Site Structure
Good web design requires a solid site architecture based on the site’s goals and target audience established in the project brief. During this phase a content outline, site diagram and wireframe (simple drawing of the information and functionality for each page in your site) are agreed upon as the foundation of your website.
- Visual Design
This is time the creative process starts taking shape. Based on information gathered above, a first draft “Mock-Up” of the home page will be created for the client to provide feedback. If needed a 2nd and 3rd draft will be completed. The designer(s) will also review any branding guidelines as well as the technical requirements for screen resolution, browser compatibility, download time, web standards and accessibility.
- Site Development
During this stage the visual design and all elements above will transitioned into a working web site using hand coded standards compliant Xhtml and CSS. Any necessary JavaScript or Flash components will also be developed.
- Testing and Refinement
The site will edited and checked for any content mistakes or needed additions and all coding will be validated. If any issues arise they will be prioritized based on severity and launch deadlines. Browser and screen size testing will also be conducted to ensure all usability goals are met.
- Launch
We will plan the best date to go live, considering your current web site traffic patterns, and attempt to launch in a way that minimizes downtime. We will also conduct one final stage of quality assurance testing on the live site after it is fully in production to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Click here to fill out a web design questionnaire