Selçuk Aker · Web Design

Going Beyond the Number of Pages in a Web Design Brief

The number of pages alone is not a sufficient measure when comparing website design prices.

By Selçuk Aker · Published · 4 min read · Updated

Going Beyond the Number of Pages in a Web Design Brief — Selçuk Aker

The number of pages alone is not a sufficient measure when comparing website design prices. A five-page site can have different user groups, multiple languages, and complex application forms. On a larger site, there may be dozens of content pages using the same layout. Design scope should be considered along with unique displays and behaviors.

Describe the visitor's decision

Write down what each homepage will make easier: understanding the service, comparing products, requesting a quote, or making an appointment. Putting all targets on one screen with the same priority obscures the visitor's orientation. The menu and content order should derive from these goals.

Check if the content is ready

If the text, photographs and technical information will change completely later, the design revision also becomes larger. It should be determined at the beginning who will prepare which content and when it will be delivered. Initial design with real content shows issues like title length and image ratio early on.

Describe mobile behavior separately

Collapsing the desktop page isn't the whole point of mobile design. Menu, tables, forms, and hard buttons may require different decisions on the phone. When the keyboard is opened, the use of the form and line breaking of long titles should also be examined.

Make it visible which side of the proposal includes interface design, software development, content entry and maintenance. When approving the design delivery, not only the screenshots; Also check components, mobile layouts, and interaction notes. In this way, the real difference in coverage between two proposals containing the same number of pages can be understood.

Frequently asked questions

What should be included next to the page list in the web design brief?

On each page, write down what decision the visitor is expected to make or what task he or she is expected to complete. Content status, mobile behavior, and forms affect coverage as much as page count.

Can the design be started when the website's texts are not ready?

The preliminary structure can be worked on; However, actual text lengths and images may change the layout. Plan at what point decisions made with a placeholder will be validated with actual content.

Web development options for early stage companies

For early stage startup website design, first determine how the product will be described and what application will be collected. Web design for entrepreneurs; It can be a single promotional page, content site or product interface. Compare off-the-shelf infrastructure, custom software and content management system options in terms of maintenance, integration and ownership.

The brief to be given to the designer should specify the pages and situations to be transferred to the developer. Don't assume that design delivery automatically includes domain name, hosting, data processing, or software maintenance.

Three scenarios for infrastructure selection on the startup website

Web development options for early stage companies should not be considered as different prices for the same need. A simple infrastructure may be sufficient for a site with few pages describing the product. Content management is required in a team that publishes content frequently. For a product that has membership, special workflow and data exchange with external systems, technical requirements should be examined separately.

For each option, ask who will update the content, who will own the account, how maintenance will be done, and how data will be migrated. The off-the-shelf solution may also require installation and maintenance; Custom software is not the first need of every startup. Make the selection based on function and ownership before the appearance of the design.

For early stage startup website design, clearly state the current state of the product in the brief. The person who is on the waiting list should not think that he will start using it immediately. In web design work for entrepreneurs, the title, product screen and application text should convey the same promise. Launch design plan shows how the page will relate to the ad and presentation.

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