PIPELINEGuide
Introducing web design to the team without resistance
The technical part of web design is rarely the problem. What actually causes implementations to fail lies with the people who are supposed to work with it — and that can be addressed beforehand.
Resistance to web design is almost never directed at the technology, but at feared additional work or the worry of being replaced. Anyone who does the affected process daily should be asked before implementation, not informed afterwards — and nothing should be introduced that requires additional data entry.
01 — Team
How to get the team on board
- Involve early, don't just inform early. Whoever handles the process daily knows where the exceptions are. This information only exists beforehand, not after go-live.
- Take resistance seriously. It's almost never directed at technology, but at extra work or the fear of being replaced. Both need to be addressed openly.
- Don't introduce anything that creates extra work. Systems that require additional data entry will be circumvented — and rightly so.
- Designate one person as the first point of contact. Not as ownership, but so questions don't fall through the cracks.
- Make success visible. If after four weeks no one knows whether it delivered results, what sticks is the memory of the disruption, not the benefit.
02 — Participation
What we need from you
- A contact person who can make decisions — not just forward them.
- Access to the affected systems, in time and not on launch day.
- Real examples from daily business — the messier, the more useful for testing.
- Two to four hours for coordination, distributed over the project duration.
- An answer to the question of what success means. Without it, nothing can be assessed afterward.
03 — Measurement
How you measure success
- Define the one number beforehand. Without a baseline value, nothing can be proven afterward. Two weeks of tracking is enough for a reliable reference point.
- Processing time per case. The most direct metric: How long does the affected process take today, how long afterward.
- Percentage of cases that complete without intervention. This ratio typically rises significantly in the first weeks when refinements are made — it's the best early indicator.
- External response time. How quickly does someone who inquires receive an initial binding answer.
- What you should not measure: Team satisfaction in the first two weeks. Every transition feels worse initially than it actually is.
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who owns the files?
You do. You get the source files and the documentation. If you work with someone else later, they can continue with them.
What about accessibility in design?
We check contrast, font sizes, focus presentation, and click areas against WCAG 2.1 AA. That's significantly cheaper in design than later in implementation.
Do we even need custom design?
Not necessarily. If you need a site with five pages and no brand ambitions, a well-adapted standard system is the more sensible choice. Custom design pays off when you need to stand out from competitors or manage many pages.
Do you also provide image material?
No, that's not part of the design system. But we specify exactly what kind of images are needed and recommend suitable sources or a photographer if required.
What if we don't like any of the directions?
Then we go back to the discovery phase — usually that means something important about the business hasn't been understood yet. It rarely happens, but better to start fresh than to force a design.
How many revision rounds are included?
Two rounds per draft are standard and usually sufficient, because the directional decision is made after the first presentation. Additional rounds are possible but noticeably extend the timeline.
Do we get several drafts?
Two to three directions on one page type. Ten variations help no one — they just shift the decision to the client instead of making it.
Next step
Let's talk briefly about whether this makes sense for you.
A twenty-minute conversation is usually enough to clarify whether a project makes sense. If not, we'll say so — that's cheaper for both sides than an offer nobody needs.