If you’ve never worked with a web designer before, the process can feel like a black box. You know you need a website, but what actually happens between that first conversation and launch day? How long does it take? What do you need to provide? Will you understand what’s happening, or will you be left in the dark while technical work happens behind the scenes? These are completely reasonable questions, and you deserve clear answers before committing to any project. Here’s an honest walkthrough of how we approach website projects, designed to remove the mystery and help you feel confident about what working together actually looks like.

We never start with design. We start with conversation. The discovery phase is where we learn about your business, not just what you do, but who you serve, what problems you solve, and what success looks like for you. We’ll ask about your current challenges: Why now? What’s not working with your existing site or setup? Who are your customers, and how do they currently find you? What do your competitors’ websites do well or poorly? What’s your timeline and budget reality? This isn’t a sales pitch disguised as consultation, it’s genuine information gathering because we can’t recommend the right solution without understanding your actual situation. Some clients need a simple five-page website; others need integrated booking systems or e-commerce functionality. Some need to launch quickly; others can take time to get everything perfect. We’d rather spend an hour understanding your needs properly than waste weeks building something that doesn’t actually serve your goals. Discovery usually happens over one or two conversations, and by the end, you’ll have a clear proposal outlining exactly what we’re recommending, why, and what it will cost.

Once you’ve approved the proposal, we move into planning, the least glamorous but most important phase. This is where we map out your site structure, define what pages you need, outline what content goes where, and establish the user journey we want visitors to follow. We’ll create a sitemap showing how pages connect and a content outline identifying what information each page requires. This is also when we discuss practicalities: Do you have professional photos, or do we need to source imagery? Is your copy written, or do you need help crafting clear messaging? What functionality is essential versus nice-to-have? Planning prevents scope creep and ensures we’re aligned before design work begins. We’ll share these documents with you for feedback because you know your business better than we do, we’re just structuring that knowledge into a logical website framework. This phase typically takes one to two weeks depending on project complexity, and it ends with a clear blueprint that guides everything that follows.

With the blueprint approved, we move into the creative and technical work. We’ll develop initial design concepts showing the overall look and feel, colour palette, typography, layout style, and how key pages like your homepage will be structured. You’ll see mock-ups that demonstrate what the finished site will look like before we build anything, giving you the opportunity to request changes while adjustments are still simple and inexpensive. Once the design direction is approved, we begin development, turning static designs into a functioning website. This includes building out all pages, integrating any required functionality like contact forms or booking systems, optimising for mobile devices, and ensuring everything works smoothly across different browsers. We don’t disappear during this phase; we’ll share progress updates and seek your feedback at key milestones. Development timelines vary by project complexity, a straightforward business website might take three to four weeks, while sites requiring custom functionality or e-commerce take longer. Throughout this phase, we’re also testing: checking load speeds, ensuring mobile responsiveness, and verifying that every button, form, and link works exactly as intended.