The Ideal Design Process?

Alright, well currently I just jump into Fireworks and get my brainworks turning, and then eventually get to a design that I like/love. I then splice it up to get the images that will be used in the XHTML /CSS version, and then code it.

I’ve heard of people using/making wireframes(?) and other things pre-design to come up with a sort of rough concept. Could I get some elaboration on this, and any other pointers to what the ideal design process may be?

You will get alot of differeing answers to this, some say they go out and walk or sketch things out. Others like me just have it in their head and fire up a my coding program.

I tend to wireframe it with all the divs and and stuff – then open photoshop to get my elements perfectly sized.

Other people do the photoshop thing first – and thats totally fine as well, it really depends how you like working.

The ideal provess involves a good sketch (witha bit od detail) and maybe do 2-3 pages not just the home page. I usually create like a template page and add to it that way.

Here are some links that will help you:

• 8 Reasons Why You Should Be Prototyping
• 20 Steps to Better Wireframing
• Basic Steps Towards Effective Prototyping
• Starting Out Organized: Website Content Planning The Right Way

I personally do wireframes and prototypes as this saves me a lot of time and effort, especailly when you work with a client – changes in a wireframe are 100 times easier to be made. Here’s my relevant post.

It’s also kind of romantic and inspiring to get yourself a piece of paper and a pencil and start sketching. I also like to say that your computer should be your tool, not your inspiration (but it all depends on personality).

I can’t remember where I saw it, but one design agency had a really good image gallery of it’s design process for a particlar client.

For example they had an image of their initial skethes, a wireframe followed by 2/3 moood boards and then finally the final polished site. It was really, REALLY insightful and I’m annoyed I can’t remember the name of the company now!

It sometimes depends on who you do the design for. For instance it makes little difference how you get into designing when you do it for yourself because obviously you know and like your design. On the other hand when you design for a client, very often the client may not agree with your design or may completely want to revamp it.

The upshot of doing wire-frames when doing work for a client is that you won’t need to spend too much time on perfecting it, and because not a lot of time goes towards it, then it’s easy to alter. In contrast, it’s way more effort to change a finished design and for me the client is how I decide which way to go.

Before when Ive started webdesign, I never did any planning, and that was one of the major reasons that I didn’t finish a complete project but now, I believe that planning is the most usefull think on the earth . Now, actually I can finish my projects.

I had never used wireframes… and im not proud of that. I try several times to make some skatches and mockups but when i’m lunching Photoshop i have totaly new idea how to design “this” site.

I’m sure that i will use wireframes in next project for my client but i don’t know if i use it for myself.