We all recognise that the web design and development process is a long and complex one. Newpath WEB offers exceptional services for businesses across Australia and the world, but one element of the process that we want to highlight is the design step.
What Are the Six Steps?
When you consider the entire process of building a new website, there are six steps:
1. Planning
2.Designing
3.Content Creating
4.Coding
5.Testing
6.Maintaining
After the planning takes place (often involving addressing the scope of the brief, as well as a general discussion around the layout of the website), next comes the design.
Put Some Meat on Them Bones
Working with the client, this is the stage where we essentially put some meat on the bones of the plan. If step one is all about sketching out the skeleton of the website, the design stage adds flourishes and style to the overall outline, really highlighting how the website is likely to look.
Understand the Fundamentals
Website designers are constantly looking to include the most innovative design possible into every website. Of course, part of the problem can be that sometimes this overlooks the simple things; do you know what font you want to use? What about colourways? By understanding the fundamentals of good website design you can allow the flourishes to come far more naturally.
What’s That Old Expression?
Following up on that point, the structure of the website doesn’t need to be a post-modern expression of the type of animal your brand is. Sometimes the old KISS acronym is best repeated often and at great volume (that’s Keep It Simple, Stupid for the uninitiated). Website design is wildly varied across the internet, but there are far less options when looking for good design principles.
Innovation is Recognising the Necessary and the Not-So-Necessary
What allows you to be innovative is in the consideration of each individual element. Yes, you will probably still need a header and footer for navigational purposes (please don’t use a single page, infinite scroller…) but what makes someone a truly fantastic designer is their consideration of what is necessary and what is accepted practice (but not ultimately required). Do users really need a search button anymore? Do you not think that a simple search bar at the top of the page may suffice?
Trust In Yourself and You Can Achieve Anything
Recognise that the design is still part of the hypothetical part of the process. It doesn’t need to work, it just needs to make sense (and sometimes it doesn’t even need that, perhaps just an explanation). Trust in the process to fully actualise your ideas, and know that sometimes it might just not work (which is okay!). Design is as challenging a step as any in the entire process, but having faith in your abilities means that the web design and development process can work as well as possible.
Good Design is Easy to See
As a fully fledged digital agency in Australia, we know good web design when we see it, and our team of highly skilled designers and developers can build your perfect website from scratch, completely refresh your website to newfound style and glory, or just spot fix small issues that need addressing. For more information about our design or development services, click through, or if you want to have a chat with someone, call (03) 8605 4896.
