Web Site Design Process

 

Often our web site design customers aren't sure what to expect when they hire a web designer. Each web designer works in a different way, but we will attempt to take the mystery out of the design process by explaining the way we work.

After You've Chosen Your Web Design Team

Of course we hope you've chosen KatsueyDesignWorks to design your web site! Once a client lets us know that they want to hire us to design their web site, we send them a contract outlining the agreements we've reached with the client through the discussion process, including email and telephone conversations.

Our contract makes clear what we have agreed to do, the price we charge and also provides our payment terms. It specifies what the client will supply (such as text for the web site, company logo and specific images they want used); and it specifies what we will supply (such as non-specific images, graphics, a database if required, etc.)

We also set out our time line. What we expect to have done and when. The time line begins when the client provides the specific images, logo and text required to build the web site and has made the required deposit payment.

Your Domain Name

You may already have a domain name and a web host. If this is the case, we will ask you for information that will allow us to access your web hosting account.

If you have not already chosen a domain name, we often assist clients in choosing a domain name and if you wish, we will even register the domain name for you. We also offer web hosting (at an additional cost) to our design and web development clients on our dedicated server.

CAUTION: Never allow anyone to register your domain name in their name. If a domain name is registered for you, it should be registered using your name as registrant with your email address so that you will get all correspondence from the registrar about your domain name.

We've seen cases where web hosts have registered clients' domain names in the name of the hosting company. Then when the hosting company went out of business, the client no longer has access to their domain name or their web hosting account.

Your Logo

Your logo will be an intricate part of the web site design. The logo dictates colors to be used and also the overall look so that the web site design compliments the logo and helps highlight it.

Many clients that come to KatsueyDesignWorks do not have a logo and want us to create one along with the web site design. If this case, we research your industry to learn more about it. We also listen to what you say about your company's culture and presentation of your overall image. Then based on the client's feedback about colors and an overall "look", we provide what is known as a "design mock-up". This work is often the most time consuming part of the web site design. We know you've worked hard to build your company's image and presenting it in the best light through the web site design is very important.

Design Layout

The web design mock-up requires client input. Once we present it, we expect our clients to take a long hard look and then provide feedback as to what they would like changed. If the client hasn't already provided URL's of web sites the like, we ask that they do this now so that we can visually see what features they like.

After this feedback, we go back to the design drawing board if necessary. We either make adjustments to the first design or completely start over depending on how close our first rendition was to what the client wants. We then present a second design layout. This second design layout should be very close to what the client wants since hopefully we have had a lot of feedback and even seen visuals.

With additional feedback we make final adjustments to the design layout and present it one more time to the client. It is imperative that the client be as critical as possible in order to make all adjustments needed to the design before we start slicing and dicing it for a complete and final layout.

Changing design elements after final layout has been done will cost the client time and money and frustrate the web designer. A change in the design usually means a change in the overall layout. Adding and subtracting elements after final design usually will make the web site appear just slapped together rather than a continual and congruent web site.

More on constructing a web site

If you need a great business web site, KatsueyDesignWorks is the place to start - and end - your search for a web site designer.

We provide:

• Custom Designs
• Custom Graphics
• CSS
• Search Ready
• Great Service
• Economical Prices
• Modern Browser Compliant