What does the term ‘design phase’ mean?
The term ‘design phase’ refers to the stage of a website project wherein the website starts to take shape. During this stage, all the pages and elements are created and laid out based on the goals and requirements outlined and sitemap and wireframes prepared at the start of the project (i.e., the definition phase).
If you wish to learn more about this topic, check out the FAQ section below:
Question #1: What happens during the design phase of a web development project?
As we have seen in the previous section, during the design phase of a web development project, all the pages and elements of the website being built are created and laid out. This includes:
- The website’s graphic elements
- The buttons
- Any other type of media to be used
Let us take a closer look at each one:
First, your website’s graphic elements consist of any photos, illustrations, designs, and visual representations of data you plan to use. During the design phase of your project, your design team would prepare all of these and lay them all out on the pages where they are supposed to go.
Second, your website’s buttons, as you may have already guessed, consist of all the call-to-action and basic action buttons your website would have.
Finally, ‘media’ refers to any other creative material you plan to use in your websites, such as video and audio files. If you need to produce them from scratch, the design phase is when you do so.
Question #2: What are the requirements for a successful phase of a web development project?
The main requirements for a successful design phase of a web development project include having:
- Clear requirements
- Clear goals
- A sitemap
- Wireframes
Let us take a look at each one in more detail:
First, clear requirements let the design team know exactly what the client expects from the finished website in terms of look, feel, and overall functionality.
Second, clear goals let the design team know exactly what the website is for.
Third, a sitemap outlines the overall structure of the website for the design team. It gives them a clear picture of how each page connects and relates to all the other pages on the website and how the content is supposed to be laid out and presented.
Finally, wireframes provide the design team with a visual representation of how each page is supposed to look and where their elements should go.
Question #3: How long does this phase of a web development project usually take?
On average, the design phase of a web development project takes anywhere between four to 12 weeks. However, the actual timeline of your project would still ultimately depend on the type of website you are looking to build.
For example, if you just want a simple landing page designed to capture leads, then it should not take you an entire month to have one not just designed but actually built from scratch. In fact, if you use a platform specifically designed for building landing pages, you should be able to build a fully functioning one yourself in under an hour.
In contrast, if you want, say, an online flight booking like the Expedia website built, then the process would take significantly longer.
Question #4: What is the difference between the definition phase and design phase of a web development project?
The main difference between the definition phase and design phase of a web development project is their purpose. The former is meant to establish the scope and goals of the project. The latter, as the name suggests, is meant to build out the designs based on the requirements, goals, and plans laid out during the definition phase.