Becoming a designer is a challenge within itself but managing one or even multiple web design projects can seem almost impossible especially when you are single handedly taking on all the work. In truth such tasks aren’t as daunting as they appear but it doesn’t make a designer any less stressed out. When it comes to your web design projects having some form of management system is extremely important and completely necessary if you want to knock your project out of the park without having a meltdown.
Whether you are new to the game of designing or a long standing veteran there are tips and tricks out there designed to make your workload seem lighter than it actually is. Today we are sharing four management methods guaranteed to reduce web designing induced stress.
1. Research Your Project Thoroughly
Diving headfirst into your web design project without thought or research only spells disaster. If you wouldn’t drive to an unknown location without some form of map or guide then why would you take on a project that you know absolutely nothing about? Whether the website is for you or a client you must first understand what it is that you have gotten yourself into. There is nothing worse than being halfway through designing a website only to find out you have to start all over because you got it wrong in the case of context and content. An easy way to prevent this is with the use of a thorough list. The list should be composed of questions that you or the client can answer. Your questions should be concerned with the following areas:
- The Client: If you are designing for a client you need to understand their business and brand. What makes them unique? What brand image are they trying to convey?
- Target Audience: You need to understand the target audience of the particular website you are designing. What are their demographics (age, gender) and geographical location.
- Product / Service: If you are promoting or selling a product or service you need to understand what makes it unique. What are the key features that need to be showcased?
- Website Objective: you need to understand the objective of the site. In other words what is the site’s main purpose. In many cases the client will not really have a clear idea about this or will actually give one answer when further probing will reveal another purpose. For example, a client may say they want a website to give information about their company when the main purpose is actually to collect contact details from prospective customers by encouraging them to fill in a form or picking up the phone. Don’t always trust a clients first answer as probing questions can often reveal more useful information.
- Content: Inquire about the type of content that will be showcased on the site, what the purpose of the content is and who will be providing it.
- Timescales: You need to understand any deadlines the clients has and if these are set in stone or flexible. This will allow you to create a detailed working schedule.
- Budget: Although many clients may not want to discuss the budget in details it is imperative you define your fees for every aspect of the project before you start working on it. You need to agree if you are paid on an hourly rate or fixed price and you need to agree every deliverable you are responsible so when they the client inevitably adds on more features and changes you can charge extra for it. Do not agree anything verbally and make sure you have plenty of detail in the fee agreement.
You will find that once you have questions like these answered you will be one step closer to actually tackling your website. Questions are not the only part of researching your project however. Thorough research includes actually studying already existing websites within the same niche. Looking at established websites that fall under the same category as your intended website not only lets you see what the competitors are doing but it also helps as inspiration. You can also use these real world examples to show the client and explore their preferences so that you can lock in what exactly it is you need to do.
Make sure that whatever research you do is accessible to you at all times while working on your project. Depending on what works best for you, you might find yourself simply relying on online documents, handwritten notes and lists or even diagrams. Whichever method you use is solely up to you but make sure you have done your research. You will find once you actually start creating that your research will serve as a production sheet and guideline making your life a lot easier.
Examples and Downloadable Questionnaires:
- Web Design Client Questionnaire
- Website Design Questionnaire
- Ultimate Guide to Website Design Questionnaire
- Website Design Questionnaire [+Free Template]
2. Gather and Organize Your Data and Content
There is a reason throughout our childhood and young adult lives that we are taught to put things up “where they belong”. When you put things in their place it becomes a lot easier to find them again when the time comes for it. This simple practice can be applied to most of your life including when you’re designing a website. Think back to a time where you were stressed out because you misplaced something or simply couldn’t find it when you really needed to have it. It’s not a fun experience is it? So why would you put yourself under that type of pressure especially when you need to get things done?
When you have successfully identified your project requirements you can move on in the phase of pre-production. Here you fall under the process of analyzing your research. During this process you will figure out the technical requirements you may need:
- Graphics Software
- Wireframes
- Staff
- Code Management
- Other Third Party Management and Tools
This simple act of finding your resources is extremely important because without them your project is surely to fail. To know what resources you need you can always refer to your questionnaire and various other lists that you developed during the first stage of managing your web design project. For everything you gain make sure to accurately label it so that you are able to find it later on.
One great stress free method to consider is to develop a production sheet or site map. Here on the production sheet or site map you can very easily and readily insert each resource and place it where it will be going. For example the flat icons you gathered and saved that are going to be on the home page would be labeled “home page icons” when you save them and you would then insert it under the home page category on your production sheet. There are tons of tools available to help you manage your content including:
With such a method you will find that everything is readily accessible opposed to you going to hunt them down. It is also best when you are organizing your data and content that you place all of your resources in the same folder that way things aren’t scattered around though they are labeled accurately.
3. Prototype Your Design
Accidents do happen and sometimes you are faced with having to go back multiple times with a design project and change things around because they did not go “according to plan”. This can be extremely stressful for a designer especially if they are faced with time constraints or dealing with a difficult client who keeps going back and changing their mind faster than you can count. To keep yourself from having to deal with such or to at least minimize such an occurrence you should always prototype your design.
If you are looking to make the design process a lot less stressful you will definitely want to prototype because nine times out of ten you will catch a mistake that you might have not realized had you already jumped into designing. Prototyping is also a good idea because it gives you as a designer the chance to not only experiment with different colors, layouts and other elements but it is also a great way to get inspired on any other current or future projects you may be taking on.
Prototyping Phase
- Requirement Analysis: here you will once again look at your questionnaires, production sheets, site map and content and decide your design.
- Wireframing: after your analysis you can start visually planning the website layout with a wireframe. This can be done online or with pencil and paper.
- Review and Redesign: allow the client to provide feedback, this will often lead to a redesign but as this is simply a visual mapping you can easily modify the design.
- Approval: somewhere along the way the prototype is approved and you can move on to the actual site designing and development.
Consider prototyping multiple designs as you can do side by side comparisons to find out which design works best or to simply combine the strongest elements together to create a more successful design that you and the client are satisfied with.
Some prototyping tools available for your use:
4. Set Realistic Goals
Too many times designers overestimate themselves and agree to unrealistic deadlines whether to prove themselves or to impress the client only to find out they need more time than they had originally thought. This is why it is important to outline goals for yourself so that you stay on track but aren’t burning yourself out. Your goals should consist of several things including a time frame of when each component should be finished. You will be able to pace yourself like this and will also be able to keep track of your progress which is never a bad thing. Be realistic however when you set your goals. Don’t try to force yourself to design a page in an hour when you know you need three and still have other things to do outside of your project.
It is important to not only pace yourself but to also reward yourself when each goal is achieved. Consider doing something nice for yourself after you have accomplished something on your list. This can be anything from food, to a nap, to even some down time in front of the television for a little bit. It’s your call. Where your time is concerned you will want to keep an eye on the clock but also balance that time while you are working. Remember that you’re human and you have other wants and needs that you wish to tend to as well as the project you are working on so it is recommended that you establish yourself a schedule. Divvy up your time in a manner that works best for you and stick to it. This way you aren’t feeling pressured in either aspects of your design and personal life.
Keep yourself on task with these time helping tools:
