Understanding the Web Design and Development Process

Getting a new website off up and running is a marathon, not a sprint. While it may seem to you that it’s “easy” to make a website, there are actually several steps to the process. It behooves you to understand the whole process so that you know what to expect and understand better what your web design company is asking of you.

Once you have chosen your web designer, you can expect a workflow similar to the following:

Discussion of Requirements

This is sometimes referred to as an “intake meeting,” where the web designer will ask you a lot of questions about what you want and need your website to do. This will be more in-depth than the initial gathering of requirements the design shop did during the selection phase, so you will need to be prepared to go over your requirements in greater detail.

Wireframing

A wireframe is the document that lays out the website’s pages and functionality, and can be compared to the site’s skeleton. It includes each type of content page (front page, landing pages, content pages, etc.), and is completely free of design elements. It describes how each page will appear and connect with each other as well as any databases or applications the site may use.

Development

Development is where the site is actually built. The wireframe will be turned into an actual site architecture, and it will be skinned with the approved mock-up design. There may be several stages to the development process, including cross-platform and cross-browser testing. This is the step where you will want to remain hands-off until a “final” site is presented for approval.

Beta Testing

Until your site launches for the world to see, your site is in “beta.” This means the site is undergoing testing of all its functionality and any final design tweaks. There may be several rounds of beta testing to ensure the site functions properly, so be patient and don’t panic if it doesn’t all go right the first time. It’s better to find out now that there are issues than after the site goes live.

Payment

The final part of the process is where you pay your designer and sign off the contract as complete. Whether your web designer is freelance or a larger design shop, your timely payment is crucial.