The document outlines the key stages of the web design process: discovery, exploration, and implementation. In the discovery stage, the designer meets with clients to understand their business, goals for the website, target audience, and competitors. Next, in the exploration stage, the designer analyzes the information to create an information architecture and organize content. Finally, in the implementation stage, the designer creates layouts, designs the interface with colors and styles, and selects a final design.

1. WEB DESIGN
PRINCIPLES
Design Process

2. Objectives
 Understand the design process through
 Discovery
 Exploration
 Implementation

3. Build me a bridge

4. Discovery
 Meet the clients, learn what they do
 Prior to the meeting – prepare research
 No website, so research their industry
 The first meeting should be face-to-face
 Listen
 Bring pad and paper – a laptop can be
distracting and the screen builds barrier

5. Initial Questions for client
 What does the company do
 What is your role
 Does the company have an existing brand or
logo
 What is your goal in developing a website
 What information do you wish to provide online
 Who comprises your target audience? Do its
members share any common demographics,
like age, sex, or a physical location?

6. Initial Questions for client
 Who are your competitors and do they have
websites?
 Do you have examples of websites you like or
dislike?
 What kind of timeline do you have for the
project and what is the budget?

7. Questions if redesigning a website
 What are your visitors usually looking for when
they come to your site?
 What are the problems with your current
design?
 What do you hope to achieve with a redesign?
 Are there any elements of the current site that
you want to keep?
 How do you think your visitors will react to a
new site design?

8. Creative questions
 Use your imagination – insight into clients
organisation
 Programmers – avoid tech jargon
 Designers – avoid talking specifically about
design.

9. Exploration
 The next stage is to take all the information
gained and analyse and experiment
 Put yourself in the shoes of the website user
 What do they want from the site
 If you are buying a product or a service, what do
you need to know before you buy
 What is the clearest title possible for page x,
and how many steps does it take to reach
page y?

10. Exploration (continued)
 Organising the content and flow of the website
into a structure we can design around is
Information Architecture (IA)
 Useful items are sticky post it notes and a
whiteboard or large scrap paper
 Make the information as obvious and easy to
reach as possible

11. Implementation
 Create a layout
 Design the interface
 Use a large blank sheet of paper, this will focus
on the technical limitations of browsers and CSS
and focus on the final look of the product
 Sketch a few possible layouts – and then
select one
 Once you have the layout, experiment with
colours (foreground/background)

12. Summary
 The Design Process has the following stages
 Discovery (understanding what the client wants)
 Exploration (analysing the information gained and
place it into a usable structure and flow (IA))
 Implementation (design the interface)