The Web Design Process
Web designers frequently handle the web design process from a technical perspective, focusing on wireframes, programming and content management. However, great design is not about how social media buttons are integrated or even about slick graphics. Proper design is about aligning the website production process with an overarching plan.
Aesthetics is only one aspect of a well-designed website. It engages visitors and educates them about the product, company, and branding using several indicators, including graphics, text, and interactions. That means that each element of your site must contribute to the achievement of a specific objective.
However, how do you go about achieving such a well-balanced blend of elements? By using a web design approach that considers both the aesthetics and the functionality into one account.
If you want to start a new website for your local Gold Coast business, here are the phases of planning a website.
Planning Stage
The designer must establish the website’s overall purpose during this preliminary phase, typically accomplished in close collaboration with the customer and other stakeholders. This is by far the most critical step in any web development process. If all of these questions aren’t addressed correctly, the entire project may go in a different direction than intended.
In this state, it’s important to establish a firm grasp of the website’s intended audience and a working knowledge of the competition. It may be helpful to establish clearly defined objectives or a one-paragraph description of the anticipated objectives. This will assist in steering the design in the right direction.
Create a Sitemap
During the stage of the website design process, we will create a sitemap. A sitemap is the foundation of any well-designed website. It assists web designers in developing a comprehensive understanding of the website’s information architecture and clarifies the interaction between the different pages and content sections.
Wireframing
In this part, the designers will gather design inspiration and create a wireframe mockup. Wireframes serve as a container for the site’s visual design, content elements and can aid in identifying future sitemap issues and gaps.
Content Creation
Once the framework for your website is in place, you can begin with the most critical aspect of the site: the written content. The content on a website engages readers and motivates them to do the activities necessary to accomplish the site’s objectives. Boring, flat and excessively long contents rarely keep visitors’ interest for an extended period. Short, crisp and enticing material captures their attention and encourages them to click on more pages. Additionally, content improves a site’s search engine prominence.
Graphics and design
Images nowadays play a more significant part in online design than ever before. This stage of the design process is frequently influenced by pre-existing branding features, colour palettes and logos. The visual design serves as a means of communicating with and appealing to the site’s visitors. Graphics help enhance the text’s content and can even convey critical information without the reader reading it. If done correctly, it can have a significant impact on the site’s success. If you get it incorrectly, you’re simply another web address.
Development Stage
Web development is the process of creating and maintaining websites; it is the work that occurs behind the scenes to ensure that a website looks great, performs effectively and provides a seamless user experience. Web developers accomplish this through the use of a range of programming languages. The nature of the activities determines the languages they employ and the platforms on which they work.
A front-end developer is responsible for the layout, design, and interactivity of a website using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. They take a concept from the drawing board to reality.
The back-end developer is the one who engineers what occurs behind the scenes. This is the location of the data, and without it, there would be no front-end. The web’s back-end comprises three components: the server that hosts the website, an application that runs it and a database that stores the data.
The back-end developer uses computer programs to ensure that the server, application, and database work in unison. This type of developer must analyse a business’s requirements and create efficient programming solutions. They accomplish this feat by utilising a range of server-side languages, including PHP.
Testing Stage
Once the site has all its design and content, it is ready to be tested. We carefully review each page to ensure all links are functional and that the website loads correctly on all devices and browsers. Expect that there are errors due to small coding mistakes, and while it is often a hassle to find and fix them, it’s better to do it now than provide a faulty site to the public.
Have one last review over the page meta titles and descriptions too. Even the sequence of the words in the meta title might affect the website’s performance in a search engine.
Launch Stage
Now comes the phase of the website design process that everyone looks forward to – the launch! Once everything has been thoroughly tested and satisfied with the site, it’s time to publish it on the internet.
Web design is all about achieving the proper balance between form and purpose. You must utilise the appropriate fonts, colours and design elements. However, the way visitors navigate and interact with your site is equally crucial. Skilled designers should be familiar with this notion and design a site that walks the fine line between the two.
A critical point to note about the launch stage is that it is far from complete. The beauty of the web is that it is perpetually incomplete. After the site is launched, you may do continuous user testing on new content and features, analyse analytics, and fine-tune your messaging.
