What is web design and development?
Web design is the conceptualisation and creation of a visual aesthetic for content online. Essentially it covers the look and feel of every page that exists on the world wide web.
Design as a whole is essentially a plan or blueprint for delivering a message, an idea or content (often within various constraints - in our case, the web). Design exists to help the viewer or user perform a task, which on the web is often the retrieval of information, or more increasingly the aquisition of products of services. So the designer's ultimate goal is to make sure that the user can find what they are looking for in the most effective way.
Web development is a descriptor given to the process of building web pages, and associated logic or processes that work behind the scenes to deliver content to your browser in a format that your browser understands. Whether it's as complex as a multi-national, content-managed, dynamically updated, thousand page web-app or just a two-page, static micro-site; web design and development is what creates and facilitates those pages.
How does it help me?
Firstly a good design concept and execution is all driven by your audience. Your users and their impression of your company equates to your "brand".
Those users, their habits and how they interact with your company, combined with your business goals and how you would like your users to interact with your company are what drive a strong design or re-design.
That initial research will help you define your reasons for requiring a design or re-design in the first instance, and allows us to put together a solid brief.
That brief, and your goals for the project then allow us to measure success throughout the project.
A solid foundation like this means that you will more likely end up with a long-lasting design that performs based on research as opposed to merely what you might assume your requirements are.
Combined with conversion rate optimisation, a good understanding of human-computer interaction habits and common sense, a design that helps your visitors find what they want or need more easily should provide you with happier users, a positive brand experience and in-turn an improved conversion rate or sales figures.
Web development provides the other part of this equasion. The build, and "back-end" of a website is equally as important as the "front-end". The development determines stability, speed, flexibility and adaptability. All of these are elements that QueryClick can provide as standard and are all things that will benefit you.
An efficiently delivered site helps avoid drop-off rates or abandonment through extended wait-times, while a stable website helps avoid down-time or abandonment due to unreliability. Both of these elements have been proven through research to harm both brand - and more importantly - conversion rates.
An adaptable website allows swift conversion to different platforms such as mobile, or alternative browsing devices and environments. Flexibility of the development allows for future updates, and the ability to change or alter the site with ease.
How do we do it?
QueryClick follow a well defined process to ensure that we build a strong foundation, and retain efficiency for any design and development project.
Our existing experience in web design and development covers a number of sizes of site in a vareity of sectors.
Phase 1 - Define the project
Discovery
The discovery phase is is research and information gathering. This covers (amongst other things) existing information, reasons for re-design, goals, current audience, perception of the site and brand and more, with a view to working up persona documents and a clear project brief.
Clarification
This is where we determine the user-groups and audience, the overall goals for the project, and put together the project plan with this information as well as defined budgets and schedules.
Phase 2 - Develop the structure
Existing content audit
This stage should determine if there is any existing content and if so, how much of it should be kept. Here we decide whether a content delivery plan needs to be created in order to gather content for the site.
Content delivery plan
If required, this is where a plan for the delivery of content is created.
Sitemap
An up-to-date sitemap enables us to see the overall structure of the site and to start planning user journeys, processes and page templates.
Wireframing / prototyping
Following on from the site map this is an important section of the project, where we determine the content for each page. This allows us to test user journeys, and ensure the elements on each page are correct.
Phase 3 - Design
Concept development
This is a case of conceptual brainstorming and experimenting with the aesthetic. Layouts, look and feel, sketches and rough ideas are then worked in to a presentable concept.
Throughout the concept development, particular attention is paid to the page flow, navigation and proposed functionality, to make sure we're not designing new functions, or straying from the brief. Constant referral to the briefs, goals and user personas is crutial.
Design presentation & feedback
The client is presented with the design concept and asked to provide feedback in order to refine any necessary areas. Once the client is satisfied they will be asked to sign-off the visuals. From this point we have our visual direction.
Phase 4 - Development
XHTML/CSS template production
Production of the templates required for every page of the site including error styling, javascript options and default styles to cover as many cases as possible. At this stage it’s useful to have sign-off on the copy for the site, to help with content area planning and section or page length.
Template integration
The templates are integrated in to the CMS system including any light scripting, event handling and preparing the site for content population.
Content population
This is where the CMS has been implemented and content should be ready to be added to the site. This process can involve design and development tweaks to accommodate any necessary changes and so a designer or developer is on hand to make sure the process runs smoothly.
Phase 5 - Launch
This is the end of the beginning. A very important part of the process. This should be viewed as the start of the working relationship and a point where we can begin the marketing strategy, promotions, linkbuilding and e-marketing.