So what do you need to have in place to help a project run smoothly?
1. Know what you want
When you first start working on a web design project, having a clear plan of action is vital. How many pages do you want designed? What features do you want your website to have? Do you need specific brand imagery and colors included in the design? Having a clear brief lets you and the web designer stay on the right page throughout the project.
**As part of the discovery session (where we determine if we are a good fit for each other), I have a questionnaire for clients to fill out as much as they can and we review it together. Check it out for yourself, HERE and feel free to look at these questions.
2. Find a designer you can trust
Take the time you need to ask questions. See if their personality is a good fit for you. Read testimonials about them. Are they happy to answer questions? Avoid red flags like: Pricing themselves far too low for the scope of work. Not asking questions, two-day turnaround, etc
3. Have an action plan
Having a timeline in place is crucial for a project to run smoothly. Agree to specific milestones with your web designer so that each phase of the design process stays consistent. This also allows you both to check in and make sure you’re happy with the progress so far.
**Custom Websites at Breathe and Delegate take about 8 weeks (options for rush), include a clear plan of action, document/file sharing tools, and two-way communication channels.
4. Have a clear budget
Agree on a budget with your web designer before you start any work. If you expect any additional features or changes that might be outside the initial scope of work, make sure you have agreed with your web designer that these will be quoted for separately. Don’t be tempted to go for the cheapest option.
5. Be prepared to give feedback
Feedback is the lifeblood of a good web design project. Try to ensure that you provide feedback on each step of the process. It helps you and your designer to stay on the right page.
**Side Note: At Breathe and Delegate, we use a fun, easy-to-use, interactive feedback tool for all website design projects where you just click, type your comments, and they get directly sent to me and my team.
