Complete Design Work
Why worry about design?
Having a "nice-looking" website does not necessarily help you achieve your online goals. You can spend a lot of money on a pleasant looking site but if the design stresses on the wrong pieces of information, or project an incorrect image of your organization, it will be just a waste of money.
What is the purpose of design?
Your website is the automatic answering machine you have on the Internet: it needs to tell your web visitors who you are, what you do, how you are different from your competitors, and entice them to click further in a very short amount of time. According to usability expert Jakob Nielsen: "users visiting a new site spend an average of 30 seconds on the homepage and less than 2 minutes on the entire site before deciding to abandon it. "
This means you can't afford to have visitors spend time trying to figure out your site and find the basic information they need to read on. The content on your site must be clearly organized, follow common usability conventions, and present the information in a pleasant way that is consistent with your branding strategy.
The power of a brand
It is important to present a consistent image of your organization accross all communication channels used. In other words, your website must tie in with your print brochures, Powerpoint presentation, business cards, and other marketing collaterals. This is the visual assurance for your customers and prospects that they are dealing with one unique organization and can therefore expect the same level of service no matter how you choose to contact the company.
What is a successful design?
A successful design:
* Visually positions your organization within your competition space: an upscale, classy look will create the expectation of high-quality, and high pricing.
* Presents the information on your site in a clear manner and following a strategic content hierarchy: if your goal is to encourage people to call you, then make sure call-to-actions and your phone number are prominently displayed on all pages.
* Encourages visitors to learn more about your organization and the services/products you offer.
* Makes your message more legible, and not substitute itself for the message.
Successful design layouts come from well-thought-out planning
Because developing a design that works for your organization can be so critical in the success of your website, Six Feet Up always involves our clients in a preliminary Discovery Phase. This is the time to:
- Review the organizations strategic goals
- Review the organization's website goals
- Review existing branding materials
- Review positioning goals
- Review the organization's competitive landscape
Based on this initial resarch, Six Feet Up then develops functional specifications that will lay the foundations for appropriate design concepts. Dynamic wireframes are developed that mock up web visitors interactions with the website and describe the flow of navigation. Several iterations are usually necessary to address all concerns and needs.
Once the wireframes have been approved, they become the blueprints for the design and subsequent implementation. Depending on your needs, Six Feet Up may provide imagery research, Flash development, color scheme recommendations, and may develop one or multiple design concepts. One concept gets eventually chosen and refined through various rounds of revisions until approved by all decision-makers.
Tips for a smooth design development process
#1: Identify main project stakeholders before embarking on any design development effort
#2: Always involve decision-makers early on
#3: Get buy-in on company and website's goals
#4: Address all decision-makers' concerns during the wireframes phase
