The web industry has come a long way since it was first created. We’ve gone from simple static websites with HTML to complex websites that can handle anything you can think of.
That’s why it’s critical to have a process for website design. Even though there are 1.5 billion websites globally and countless types of websites, there’s a website design process that will help you build what you need. Keep reading to learn what the website design lifecycle is like, so you can build a website for yourself.
Idea Generation
Idea generation is the first and most important step for creating a website. You can put in a lot of time and money to build a site but end up with a site that nobody wants to visit.
You need an idea that people are interested in if you want your site to see success. Brainstorm ideas before you start and do everything you can to validate your idea in the market.
Wireframing
Once you have a website idea, the next step is to create a wireframe of your project. Your goal here is to lay out the functionality of your site and plan how your users interact with site features.
Use your wireframes to create the structure of the entire website. This structure will help inform the rest of the web design process.
UI Design
It’s time to create your website design once you complete your wireframes. Hand your wireframes to a designer so you can create a UI that appeals to your customers.
When creating your UI, think about your customer’s demographics, interests, and desires. You want to appeal specifically to those people, not to every person that lands on your site and has no interest in using it.
Make sure to also learn about common web design mistakes to avoid providing a poor experience to your users.
Software Programming
Once you complete your UI design, you’re ready to program your new website. This is the time to get the best web developer to take your design and idea and bring it to life.
Make sure you plan out every little detail during this process. It’s easy to miss a small detail as a programmer when you don’t have all the data. The more information you can provide upfront, the better chance you have of getting the website you’re looking for.
User Test
Even if you hire a great developer and designer to create your website, the chances are good that everything won’t be correct the first time. You’ll need to do some digging to find bugs and design issues.
A great way to do this is with user testing. Get a group of people likely to use your website and give them tasks to do for testing. Use their feedback to get rid of bugs and make changes based on how they believe things should work.
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of the Website Design Process
It’s tempting to jump straight into coding a website when you believe you have a great idea. However, the chances are good that you won’t get the site you’re looking for when you go this route. Keep the website design process in mind when you create a site to ensure you can launch with success.
Of course, you’ll need to learn more about growing a website if you want people to visit it after you complete your build. Check out the blog to learn how to run a website like a small business owner.
