Our Design Process
In order to ensure that optimal results are achieved, it is very important to take the initial step of planning the design-build to avoid going over budget as well as to complete the project on time. We break up our projects into a 4 phased process:
Phase 1: Analysis & Planning
Upon starting any project, it is imperative to do initial research regarding your competition, industry, market, and audience. It is during this phase that we will identify what your competition is doing right as well as where they fall short of delivering a successful web presence. Doing this initial research will enable us to capitalize on both their strengths and weaknesses in order to leverage a much better result for your company.
Next, we will cultivate all the necessary project assets such as text and images, that will be needed to deliver your message. It is very important to have all the project assets ready at this point in the project to avoid having to make changes in later phases. Not having all project assets up front can result in going over budget and/or not completing the project on time.
Phase 2: Architecture & Wireframing
Just like in the real world, knowing what you want to build ahead of time is essential in achieving both your short and long term goals. During this phase we will identify those goals and plan accordingly as to create a scalable web presence that will grow along with your business.
Prior to doing any layout and design, we create the architectural overview of what content the site will contain, and how the site will function. Along with functionality, we will also review the "usability" aspects of the site. This is crucial as a site that functions poorly, or is hard to use, will ultimately lead to a user leaving your site.
Once the architecture is established, we can then create a wireframe of how the site will layout. Doing this will help us spend the least amount of time in determining what the pages will look like along with the best way to layout the design.
Here's an example of a basic wireframe:
Phase 3: Design & Layout
In this phase of the project, we will create the graphical elements and lay them out according to the specified wireframe for your approval. Once approved, we can then create the custom template(s) that will be used to build the individual pages of your site. This is where we can make the necessary adjustments to the overall look and feel of the site.
Phase 4: Development & Testing
Now that we know exactly how to build your website, we can develop the individual pages and test to make sure the site is compliant with modern web standards; and that it is functioning properly across multiple technologies such as browsers, operating systems, monitors, etc.
