PIPELINEGuide
Web design: where to start without losing focus
The most common mistake when starting is not the wrong technology, but the wrong first step. A sequence that has proven itself in small businesses.
Getting started with web design doesn't begin with the technology, but with a week of taking notes: what repeats itself, what costs the most time. After that, a single, clearly defined process with a measurable goal — only with clear scope do quotes become comparable at all.
01 — Getting started
Where to begin
Name the bottleneck
Not the most interesting thing, but what takes the most time. A week of tracking what repeats delivers a more realistic list than any workshop.
Define a small scope
One process, one measurable goal. What works gets expanded — what doesn't costs little.
Survey the starting situation
What content, data, and access credentials are available. For web design, this is the factor that most strongly influences effort and timeline.
Decide who is responsible
For the implementation and for operations afterward. Without this definition, every system becomes outdated.
Only then request proposals
With a clear scope, proposals become comparable. Without it, you get numbers that have nothing to do with each other.
02 — Fit
When it's worth it
- The process in question occurs at least weekly.
- It follows rules you can write down — even if there are exceptions.
- Today it's manual work that no one enjoys doing.
- There's one person who decides, not three who need to coordinate.
- You can name what would tell you it worked.
03 — Checklist
Clarify before the first quote
- What should improve? In one sentence, no jargon.
- How will you know? One number that should change.
- Who decides? One person, not a committee.
- What budget is available? A range is enough — it makes quotes comparable instead of arbitrary.
- By when? And what the deadline depends on.
- Which systems are involved? And who has access to them.
- What do you already have? Content, data, preliminary work — this reduces the cost.
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Will this look good on mobile too?
We design the narrow view first, because that's where the majority of visitors arrive. The wide view is the easier case, not the other way around.
Next step
Send us a few sentences about your project.
We read every inquiry ourselves and respond personally. No sales team, no callback form into the void.