In the first part of our series, Prevent Website Redesign Burnout, we discussed in the best way to kick off your redesign project – including, setting goals and creating a plan. The next step is to find the right person to bring your plan to life.
Finding the right person (or group) isn’t always easy. With so many options, things can start to get a little murky. To help you navigate your way through the depths of a redesign, we’ve listed the basic roles you should look for and how they will fit into your redesign plan:
Designers are usually the first ones to start working on a new website. They are concerned with how the site looks and feels, so they will focus on usability, site navigation and the placement of elements such as buttons and forms. Ultimately, a good designer will create a great user experience.
Developers are in charge of bringing the designs to life. They create the “backbone” of the site to make it functional and build the user interface. For example, a designer will create a “submit” button for a form and the developer makes sure that when it’s clicked, the information is sent and stored in a database. A developer should be competent in a number of programming languages.
At the end of the day, you will need a designer and a developer to create your website. There are individuals who specialize in both, but they are in high demand and are often difficult to find.
One option is to hire one designer and one developer. Keep in mind, however, that they need to communicate frequently and that could prove difficult depending on their schedules. Another (often easier) option is to hire a design firm. Design firms typically employ both designers and developers and are able to offer different approaches and design ideas to your project because both teams are able to collaborate with one another. While this is often easier, it can get pricey so it’s important to shop around and find the best fit for your business needs.
Next up we will discuss how to narrow down the search and what questions to ask potential designers/developers or firms.
