The 3 Stages of Web Design Project Management
With countless moving parts, intricate workflows, and multiple stakeholders, project management has become the essential backbone of successful web design projects. By launching into a project without a well-crafted strategy, you run the risk of missing deadlines, compromising quality, and disappointing clients.
Steer your client’s website toward success by refining your approach to project management and learn the fundamental stages and benefits of strategic planning.
1. Plan
Before you begin designing your client’s website, it’s important that they understand how your design can address their online marketing needs. Complete all the necessary groundwork, including research, brainstorming, and getting the client’s signoff on your plan. This ensures the project runs smoothly and your work fulfills your client’s vision.
The following steps can help you map a project’s requirements and set client expectations.
Get the details
Determine your client’s needs, such as building a new website or redesigning an existing site. Audit their existing marketing materials, noting ways their online presence can be improved. Every improvement or initiative should strategically help the site accomplish your client’s goals. Developing and executing on a plan, based on your research, is the essence of strategic design.
Do a deep dive
Find out what metrics your client is using to drive their decisions and determine how they define success. You may be able to weigh in and provide insight that can yield better results.
Brainstorm
Following conversations with your client and diving into their existing marketing materials, it’s time to identify content gaps. This includes professional photography, long-form articles, product descriptions, and more.
Agree on requirements and scope
Based on your findings and initial consultation with the client, the actual needs of the project may look different than their original request. Develop a proposal that outlines the requirements and scope of the project, including any tasks you’ve added to better meet their goals. If you need to raise your rates based on the expanded scope, note this in the proposal.
Within the proposal, set milestones that map out the project’s requirements. Milestones include client check-ins, when you will gather their feedback, and when you will bill them for the project.
By presenting the proposal before you begin designing, you can ensure you and your client are aligned on deliverables, timing, and compensation.
2. Execute
Once you and you and your client have a vision and plan, it’s time to execute the project. If you work with multiple team members or collaborators, communication will be key to managing all the moving parts.
Have a kickoff meeting
Bring the team together—physically or virtually—to get everyone on the same page and to address any outstanding questions.
Walk through the project plan, go over milestones, and set expectations. Generally, everyone should come away knowing what they need to do and when they need to check in with you next.
Learn more about collaborating and scaling a web design team.
Communicate consistently
When you’re managing multiple clients (or a web design team), it can be difficult to stay up to speed with everyone. Conduct regular check-ins to talk through milestones, questions, or evolving ideas.
Be mindful of different communication styles. If someone doesn’t respond to email but loves phone calls or messaging channels, it’s up to you to adapt. Even if you aren’t a project manager by job title, you’re the one steering the ship.
Learn more about communicating with clients and navigating feedback.
Manage risks
Over the course of the project, you, your team, and the client will face the unexpected. Your client’s boss may leave the company. Your photographer may be unable to book studio space, or their equipment may be stolen. Anything can happen. The more you can anticipate and prepare for these scenarios, the better. Account for unexpected delays when you plan the project timeline.
Set and manage expectations
As unforeseen events occur, it’s best to communicate them to the client as soon as possible. You don’t want to make your process their problem. They should, however, have a high-level view of your progress. If they don’t know what to expect and something goes wrong, they’ll be disappointed. It’s often better to be transparent and keep your clients in the loop should the delivery of their project be impacted.
Test and iterate
No matter what you’re building, make time to test it. Try to break whatever you build in a controlled setting so it doesn’t go up in flames when it’s in production. Worst case scenario, it’s better to deliver late than it is to deliver a product that’s untested. Site duplication is a great way to create a copy of a web design for this purpose.
3. Learn
At the end of every project, measure the result against the original plan. Hopefully, everything went smoothly and your client has a site that exceeds their expectations. Even if that’s the case, you probably learned something in the process. Taking time to assess the result and find ways to improve can help you hone your craft moving forward.
Have a post mortem
After you’ve launched the site, take time to look back at the original request. Check to see if you completed everything in the project proposal. Ask yourself what decisions you would change and what you would do the same.
As part of the project handoff, ask your client to complete a satisfaction survey or provide a testimonial about their experience working with you. Equally important, ask yourself if you would do the project again. Evaluate whether or not you liked the project and working with the client. Reflecting on your own experience can help you decide whether or not you take similar projects in the future.
There’s a lot to project management, which is why it’s a discipline in and of itself. Even so, knowing the basics can help you run complex projects smoothly. If you go in, do your due diligence, draft a plan, and intend to learn, you’ll do just fine.
Want more?
Check out Squarespace Circle, Squarespace’s program for professional web designers, developers, digital entrepreneurs, and creatives. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from all across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.
