6 Key Stages Of The Web Designing Process

A website is a necessity for any company or business trying to establish its presence online. Having a website makes the services offered accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Website building is a tedious and challenging task that requires expert help from a web design agency in NJ that specializes in the task.

A website design is compelling when it fulfills its intended purpose by communicating the necessary ideas while simultaneously engrossing the readers. Although web design seems like only coding or data processing to a layman, there are a lot of important processes that make a good website. A lot of time and effort is consumed in making a good website from scratch. A web designer always employs a step-by-step approach during web design projects. This makes the entire process streamlined, effective, and efficient.

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The six steps of the web design process

The six main steps of the web design process include:

1. Information gathering

Information gathering is one of the essential web design steps. It forms the foundation on which you can build a good website successfully. In this step, the major tasks are:

To understand the purpose of the site, whether it is a website providing information or a site selling products and services, or for other purposes.
To understand the target audience, their behaviors, and preferences so that the website can be designed to pique their interest.
To understand the type of content that the audience is looking for.
To understand the ultimate goal of building the website, whether it is for monetary benefits or some form of guidance and support.

You can conduct a detailed discussion with the client to have a thorough understanding of the goals and the expected output from the website and formulate the design plans accordingly. A digital marketing agency in NJ can customize them in a way that gives value to quality over quantity.

2. Planning and brainstorming

All the information that you collected in the first phase is used in this stage to come up with a viable plan. This plan will act as a guiding map throughout the entire design procedure, consisting of a list of topics and sub-topics that need to be covered. The plan will be useful to give pointers on the various tasks while designing. It will help with the logical flow of ideas from one topic to another. This is also the phase where the technologies to be used are decided.

3. Website design

This is the stage where the skeletal frameworks designed till now are given an authentic feel and look. The aesthetics and general ambiance of the website are carefully constructed using various design features and styles. As a thumb rule, this phase involves some research for the designer to land some design inspiration. If you want to know how to design a web page, you need to consider the following factors:

Color schemes: Choosing the right color is important since it is the first thing a customer sees, and a good color scheme means an excellent first impression.
Branding: Using logos and other features related to the company helps the customer to connect with the company easily and also establishes the credibility of the website.
Typography: Choosing the right font style and font size for both the header and body text is a top priority. The target audience determines this. Typography is a powerful display tool to amplify the intended message and augment the aesthetics of the website. For example, the font style used on websites designed for kids will be more artistic when compared to a financial website, which is more formal.
Visual elements: Icons and buttons can easily help a customer navigate through the website, which will increase the overall appeal.
Media and artwork: Pictures, videos, and audio can be used to enhance the website. This will effectively deliver the message of the website without making the entire experience troublesome.
Accessibility: The website should be easily accessible and technology-friendly so that people can use it on all types of devices. Fast response time also increases the charm of the website.

4. Development

During the website development process, the website comes to life using all the plans and designs developed so far. The various design features are integrated using different programs and software to create a fully functional website. Two crucial pre-requisite skills are needed during this stage, namely coding ability and thorough knowledge of the programming language.

Coding

Coding, also called computer programming, is how we communicate with the computer. A set of instructions is given to the computer to perform specific tasks. Electronic equipment ranging from personal computers to simple calculators all runs on code. Detailed code is developed for every element of the website to avoid issues affecting the smooth functioning of the website. Any mistake in the code can cause the entire website to crash, making the coding ability of the designer extremely paramount.

Programming language, PHP

A programming language is the means by which code is executed on a server. PHP is a set of codes that contain the HyperText Markup Language or HTML. It is the standard language used to display documents on a web browser and helps in structuring a web page and its contents. PHP codes are used to generate HTML, which is then sent to the client’s browser, creating a functioning website.

Generally, the home page is modeled first, and then the secondary pages are added according to the website hierarchy. Frameworks and CMS (content management system) are also added during this stage. You can add the necessary CMS plugins for smooth operation.

Another important step is SEO or Search Engine Optimization, in which the website elements are optimized to improve the position of the website in search results. This is extremely necessary to keep the website afloat, and a good SEO calls for exceptional coding skills.

5. Testing and launching

Testing is a customary part of website development. It helps to detect the errors and fine-tune the codes. The designer should ensure the accuracy of each link to avoid broken links. Code validators are used to make sure that the codes match current web standards. After the website is tested multiple times, it can be put on a web server using FTP (File Transfer Protocol). It should again be tested to ensure that all the files are installed flawlessly and that there is a seamless operation. Making the website compatible with different browsers will be an added advantage.

You can conduct surveys on the representatives of the target population before the website is made available to the general public. By doing this, the designer will be able to assess any necessary changes needed in the website design to make the output favorable.

6. Maintenance

The most important thing about a website is that it is not a product but rather a service. This means that even after passing the website to the user, the designer should be ready to check for errors and glitches and correct them as routinely and when necessary. Regular and timely updating is also important to protect the website from viruses and hackers.

In conclusion, the web development process does not start with coding and ends with launching. It is a process that goes through various stages of development. These stages are almost the same for all designs, even when the client requirements are significantly different from one another. In short, understanding the web design steps is extremely important for developing a good website.