Here are some key things to be kept in mind while working on the project so as to make it run smooth:
1. Keep off people who are not associated with the project
A new web design project does not require the comments of all the people at your office. Restrict the handling process to the web design & development team and other teams that relate to it like SEO and content team etc. for all others who show an interest in the project, draft out a questionnaire that will require answers from their area of expertise.
2. Prototype on paper before coding
Website designs get prototyped into HTML quite easily. However, the most common mistake web designers make is they prototype in HTML before even drafting a paper sketch. HTML prototypes are an integral part of the website design process but it's always a better bet to narrow down on two or three selections before the prototype process.
Paper prototypes are much easier to create and moreover, it can easily represent navigation items, logos, footers etc.
3. Build a Sitemap before designing
This is yet another major mistake that web designers tend to make. Designing a website without a sitemap is like building a figure without a skeleton. The navigation hierarchy is defined by the number of pages you have on a website. Therefore, without knowing the number and sequence of the web pages, there is no way you can decide the placements of navigation elements.
Therefore it is essential you draft out a sitemap before beginning the design and development process.
4. Get past the wordings of homepage
The content of the homepage is very important along with the titles of navigation links etc. however, more that these, it is important to actually design the homepage and links therein. Often, project meeting are spent to decide the content and wordings of the links and pages. But they fail to realize that the design elements are more important and demand more attention.
The design of the homepage should be similar to the design of other pages. Likewise the colors of the navigation links should go in sync with the overall layout of the design.
5. Refrain from content discussions
Forget about the content of the website while you are designing the layout. Make use of Lorem ipsum in the content space and plan your design elements in and around it. Concentrate on the colors and placements of the various elements
At the same time, make sure that people who are responsible for generating content for the website doing their job well as per the deadline. While redesigning a website, never re-use the original content. Not only will it be an unfit in the new layout, but also will not be relevant in the present scenarios.
