The Design Process

The Design Process ///

A basic outline that aids in the creation and implementation of a design layout for the web.

The steps in the process rarely (if ever) change, ensuring that each project that is presented to the designer can be completed in an efficient and professional manner, no matter how diverse it may be. Think of this Process like a template for the designer, one that can help both him as well as the client. It may be three steps, four, five, or seven. However, regardless of the number, the guide is a nice “ice breaker” for potentially difficult layouts.

1: Gather

The first step in the Design Process is a fairly simple one, with the designer gathering as much information as he can in regard to the site that he is trying to create. He may ask the client a lot of questions in order to get as much information as possible. Who are your competitors? Who is your target demographic? Would you like your site to be more text heavy or full of pictures? The more questions answered, the better. The designer takes feedback and ideas from the client and then moves on to step 2.

2: Ponder

With plenty of information now at his disposal, the designer can sit back and think about which layout to possibly create. Think of this step as a sort of “brainstorming” session, a moment to ponder over things. He may sketch out a few layouts, show them to the client, and decide where to go from there. Once a solid layout is agreed upon by the client, the designer is ready for step 3.

3: Construct

With a solid layout now in hand, the designer is ready to start building and moving toward the ultimate goal of getting a website out to the public. However, things don't always go as planned and there might be a few bumps along the way; the search feature may not function properly on the site, the photographer may not have supplied the right pictures, etc. Once these kinks are ironed out, though, the site can be launched to the public, an event detailed in step 4.

4: Display

So, the site is finally up and running, right? Everything is good to go? It's ready to be displayed to every eager internet goer? Well, as is usually the case, this isn't quite true. A few small errors here and there may need to be dealt with. Or, perhaps the designer would like to check back on the site to see if traffic is where he would like it to be. He may also hold a follow-up meeting with the client in order to clear up any last minute questions. In any case, the dust has more or less settled in this step, allowing the designer to move onto another client with another site idea.