How to Approach A New Web Design Project

Syreeta Lockett - February 25, 2016

Starting complex design projects is often intimidating, but there are a few initial steps that you can take to help ensure the success of your project:

Define the Scope

It is important that before any steps are taken, there is a clearly defined scope of work. The web design project scope lists the specific goals, deliverables, tasks, deadlines, and costs. Having a project scope helps everyone know the exact objectives. It helps define and confine the project so that you are able to plan and execute without additional requests and restricting. Once the scope is defined, any item that falls outside of the defined scope is a new project.

Construct a Communication Plan

There could be multiple people involved in a project, so it’s good to outline a clear communication plan so that you know who to source for each task. Without a clearly defined communication plan, people could end up duplicating efforts and miscommunications could occur. It is best to have one point of contact from each department or team. It’s equally vital to determine your method of communication. Does all communication take place via email? Are there weekly check-in meetings with the entire team via telephone? Outline the best communication method(s) and schedule check-in times in advance to ensure your team doesn’t deviate from the plan.

Create a project schedule with defined dependencies

Use the clearly defined scope to create a project schedule. A project schedule outlines the tasks that need to be performed, who will perform them, and in what time period. The project schedule also outlines task dependencies to determine what tasks need to be completed before starting a new one. The project schedule should be reviewed and agreed on by all parties before starting any work. The schedule allows project managers to stay on track and determine if the project is falling behind.

Set Quality Standards

Aside from simply outlining the scope, it is also important to set quality standards. A team can be tasked with building a website, but without quality standards the work could be submitted on time (per the schedule), but not be what the client had in mind. Establish an expected quality level so that the work isn’t simply completed, but completed at the outlined quality standard.