Website Design

Getting to know you (and your users)

We start by building our understanding of your business. We speak to key stakeholders and dive deep into data you already have, including the performance of any existing site.

Our goal is to start research on your users as soon as possible. This may involve speaking to your customers, creating or analyzing quantitative research such as surveys, or performing user testing on the existing site.

Envisioning a site that does business

A website strategy aligns the proposed site structure, content, and features with business goals. This is where we make high-level decisions about the direction of the website.

During the strategy phase, an experienced website strategist collaborates with UX, design, and content specialists to conduct research, identify challenges and opportunities, and make recommendations. At the end of the phase, we present a strategic document that guides the creation of the website and sets the tone for your project.

We plan the features the app will need, as well as data integrations if it needs to read and write data. If we're designing the app, we work closely with our information architects and user interface designers to facilitate development.

The first key deliverable is a sitemap, which shows the structure and hierarchy of the site’s pages. Next come wireframes - low-fidelity, black and white designs that show the basic structure of each page template. These deliverables are backed up by as much user research as we can get our hands on - we're passionate about getting our concepts in front of users to test them and refine them.

Bringing the website to life

Design is where the hard work really starts to pay off. We start with an exploratory phase - as the name suggests, we explore several possibilities with you, in order to understand how to best represent your brand.

Some of our clients have strict brand guidelines, while others are looking for advice on how to define or reinvent their brand - we are just as comfortable working with either.

The deliverables of the design phase are color mockups of each template, which build upon the wireframes created during planning. Each mockup is presented to your team for detailed feedback as we go, starting with the homepage. And because a fully responsive design is non-negotiable, we design separately for desktop, mobile, and tablet, optimizing each element and interaction for each device.

Finding words to inspire and convert

Everyone writes. But not everyone writes for the web.

Our copywriters know how to write in a concise and impactful way to capture increasingly short attention spans. They know how to spin a story and make the pages flow. They can think like a first-time site visitor and make a page attractive to both humans and search engine bots. And they will dive deep into product features, service offerings, and more, to find a message that resonates.

Maximizing relevance, reach, and discoverability

SEO is an integral part of an effective website, not an add-on. Building your site first and 'doing SEO' later can result in missed opportunities or jeopardize your existing capital.

For this reason, every website we design is built with SEO in mind. Our SEO specialists stay involved throughout the project to help us create the right pages in the right places. Sitemaps, wireframes, content, and even design elements are carefully reviewed to ensure they are discoverable, relevant, and follow SEO best practices.

As a full-service website agency, we have expert in-house web development resources, but we are just as comfortable working with in-house or outsourced development teams.

We are accustomed to handing off specification documents and annotated mockups in a way that makes the job of the development team easier, allowing for a site that matches the vision and works as expected.