Web design
We know that getting the right web design for any business matters enormously. We will work with you to understand and deliver the best website design possible. We see the web design as part of a bigger picture – linking web design with technical delivery, business drivers and other goals – including possibly getting to the top of Google and search engines – how does good design balance against need for content authority for instance? So what is the “best website design?”
What qualifies “best website design” then?
We’re constantly testing this. We would define best website design as:
- The site meets the business objectives
- The website is engaging
- The site is evocative
- The design is beautiful
- The site is accessible
And getting that mix right is a skill. And pushing the boundaries and delivering a beautiful design that goes beyond the client expectations and really has the “wow” is something we do a lot. Imagine a beautifully designed website but the content goes on too much? Or awesome content and design but no calls to action? Or perhaps a site that works brilliantly on a Mac, but go on a PC and it just looks terrible or doesn’t load on an iPad.
Our web design process
The process is quite simple but can go into a lot of detail quite quickly. In simple terms:
- Understand the business – sit, learn, question, push and start to work out the business goals, marketplace, history and shape of the business and the project from the client’s perspective. Reach a common understanding for a way forward that cuts like a hot knife through butter
- Gather known collateral and create mood boards – it may be competitors whose website you really don’t like, or a dropdown menu on a site you once saw, or some iconography – anything that would help us understand your take on good website design and how we can nurture the ideas forward with you
- If required, wireframe the website from ground up – so we’re starting to understand function but leaving form to one side for a moment
- Define UI/UX requirements – either now or later – so that’s user interaction and user experience. If it’s a shopping cart top right of a screen, does it slide down when I mouse over it? Or popup on click? How does it hide? Once I fill in a form, how do I know if I’ve passed validation or I can go to the next step?
- Develop prototypes if required of key components. This is normally only required for larger websites and custom applications, but it might be needed to demonstrate some complex functionality on the site. We probably do this on one in every six or seven project.
- Finalise a web design brief. So that’s everything we know so far that we can present to the designer as a final “spec” to deliver against.
- Design visuals iteratively. So we’ll produce a set of visuals, then sit down with the client to discuss, garner feedback and then refine the visuals until we’re all happy. This normally happens over 2-4 iterations depending on complexity.
- Once visuals are approved, they’ll be tightened up (pixel pushing, refining), and presented to the client for final viewing. We’ll look for web design approval and once approved, we’ll move onto turning those designs into a finished website!
What web design do we provide?
If it’s web-based, we design it! Including:
- Custom website design for small to extremely large websites that are powered by CMS systems
- Social media website design – so Facebook, Twitter, Youtube Channels
- E-Commerce website design that will eventually be powered by Magento. And often that means stopping it look at all like Magento and making it look really different!
- iPhone and iPad app design
- Branding and associated brand materials and brand guidelines related to a website design
- Moodle website design
- Website redesign
We hope that gives you a small insight into our web design services offered. You can probably tell the list above is by no means exhaustive. We’ve created powerful award winning work for tiny bespoke customers, enormous corporate clients and everyone in between.
