Designing and Building
Functional by Design
In the same way that the Discovery Phase of a website project acts to ensure the site we build is well designed, the Design Phase is where we make sure everything is well prepared and in place before we start the build.
Designing a web site is as much about the user experience and ease of mangement for the administrators as it is about the visual appearance.
Our design process starts with a signed-off Brand Board and ends with a signed off WireFrame and Project Brief. From there the Build Phase can often take less than a week including testing.
Planning is the key
"Measure twice, cut once." Our way of designing and building a web site is similar to the process of putting up a kit house. We make sure there are solid foundations in place and all essential services are in place. Just like a kit house, we pre-build off-site so the build itself is a lot faster than a conventional build. That means, however, that we have to ensure everything dovetails nicely. They day you move in, is not the day you want to find out that your super-kingsize bed won't fit through any of the doors!
Designing in detail
Overlooking the details can mean having to rebuild parts of the site. Moving one thing, can have a knock-on effect on something else. An architect will ensure there is plenty of natural light in as many rooms as possible, for example. So, while you can divide up that well-lit large room with a partition wall, the quality of light may well be impacted in a way it would not have been had the original design been for two smaller rooms instead of one large one.
I once had a very interesting conversation with a client who is an interior designer. It emerged that if an interior designer was brought in to the design process before the build took place, many seemingly small things, could have been done differently. Interior designers focus on how a space is used, how it is lived in, how people flow through a building. They recommend light fittings, switches, electrical sockets be placed for the benefit of those living there, and that is often not where the builders would put them.
The point of no return
Once your kit house has been built off-site, last minute changes can be costly and time consuming. After a lorry load of materials have been delivered, is not the best time to decide on a different colour. Just as with building a physical house, building a web site quickly and within budget means completing work in the right order.
The build can start without materials, but it cannot be finished without them. For a web site that means the text, images, access details, contact details, opening hours and any other assets needed to complete the site. We need to understand what materials will be used, even before we start the Design Phase, because we design around them.
Time or money pressures?
We know that the biggest stumbling block in building web sites is for clients to find the time andor money needed to provide the content and assets which only they can provide. The systems we have in place were designed to make it as easy as possible for you to get us the content we need to build your site. If copywriting or image editing isn't your thing, we have an itemised "a la carte" price list of services. If your budget is tight, we have a comprehensive guide on How to Save Money by providing your content in the right format. The guide includes where to find free images, tools and software, as well as tips and tricks.
Building in stages and designing for growth
Knowing at the planning stage what you might want your site to achieve going forward, enables us to best future-proof your site for stages further down the line. Maybe you have only a few products but plan to expand the range if the online shop is successful. You might be working on a pilot site that will be rolled out to other countries or markets once the kinks have been ironed out.
