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Web Design and Development
What is Design and Development?
Not what it seems. Design is the art of balancing brand, value proposition and the known principals of Web site usability. Development is the actual building of the site using HTML, Cascading Style Sheets, a content management solution (CMS) and adherence to the information architecture built in the planning stages of your Web site.
Why are Design and Development Important?
Proper design accentuates your brand, clarifies value proposition, and gives users the first and possibly last impression of your company. The development behind the design and its adherence to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards is critical to a site that stands the test of time and not one that needs a new strategy or redesign 18 months after completion.
“A good design is not equivalent to a creative eye-catching design like you’d find on a direct mailer or magazine advertisement…rather, a good design focuses on how to best serve the customer, accentuate the brand and work within the information architecture.” —Aaron Kahlow, Principal of BusinessOnLineHow Design Improves Business
The design of your Web site will be seen, viewed and judged more than ANY single marketing or advertising effort you will embark on, so to do it right is critical to all other marketing efforts. The right structure and coding behind that structure will ensure your internal or outsourced resources are not wasting valuable time “re-coding” site changes. Business improvements are seen in:
- Brand. Design combined with usability will make or break the impression one has of your organization when coming to the Web site.
- Reduce Costs. If properly structured, coded and developed, a site can be easy to update, change and restructure based on changes in your business model and marketing objectives. Time is money, so if your IT staff can perform updates in minutes versus days…well, you can do the math.
Where to Start
Design and development all start at the planning stage. The right information architecture, site layout and wireframes will allow design to flow easily. Look to start with a scope and strategy phase of the project before you commit to a costly and lengthy engagement.
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