The Web Design Process
PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE DESIGN
Though not immediately apparent, Web Design is different from Web Development. The design phase is the act of planning and creating a visually appealing website. Together we’ll discuss and dissect your vision. What colors will you use? How many elements will be a part of your site? Are you looking for something fun, serious or classy? This feedback will help us create the framework of what will become your website. When done correctly, web design can have a powerful, psychological and even emotional response on the person that visits your website.
“A DESIGNER KNOWS HE HAS ACHIEVED PERFECTION NOT WHEN THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO ADD,
BUT WHEN THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO TAKE AWAY.”
Design Principles
Consistency
No matter where you drive within the United States, federal highway signs are almost always white text (Highway Gothic) placed against a green background. No matter where you travel it’s always the same familiar signage. This type of consistency should be no different on your website. As your customer “travels” through your website, each page should be consistent and familiar to your brand.
Emphasis
These are design principles used to intentionally highlight or draw a user’s attention to a particular area of your site. Perhaps you want to advertise a new product or push a customer towards signing up for your monthly newsletter, the designer ensures these areas are carefully created to draw attention to the subject matter without becoming distracting. (For example most users will start with their mouse towards the top left of the page and gradually end up in the middle. Not dissimilar to reading)
Balance
It’s important that the designer creates a balanced website. This means using the perfect balance between darks and lights and proportioning everything correctly.
Understand Your Goals
During the initial stage, we’ll sit down and discuss with you what your specific goals are. If you have competition, we’ll discuss creative ways to make you stand out from the crowd. Some things to consider:
- Who is this website for?
- What should users expect when they arrive?
- Is the focus of the website to inform, sell or entertain?
- What colors will you use?
- How many elements will be a part of your site?
- What functions would you like to see implemented?
Plan Page Mapping & Creation
The site mapping phase of a website project is a strategic process that if done correctly, will set the tone for your entire website. This involves deciding the location of new pages and how they correlate to each other. Each web page should have a specific job. The page your on now for example, has helped explain what Web Design is, it will hopefully hand you off to our “Web Development” page where you view what happens when we “breathe life” into an element.
Define The Scope
Defining the scope of the project may include what pages and features the site needs in order to fulfill your goals. Together we’ll discuss each person’s role and respective tasks, and time required to build out and complete those tasks. This is a great time to address any questions about rates and pricing. A tight budget means we must work within those constraints. A more relaxed budget does not mean your final quote will be higher. Rather, we will present you with multiple options, features sets and ideas. You can then comfortably choose between those options before making a final decision.
Build Out Visual Elements
This part of the design process will often be shaped by existing branding elements, colour choices, and logos. How should the website make the user feel? What colors will be used and why? Color influences perceptions that are not always obvious , we’ll discuss this in depth. High-quality images give a website a professional look and feel, but they also communicate a message, should be mobile-friendly, and help build trust. Visual content is known to increase clicks, engagement, and revenue.
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