A strong web design workflow gives the client confidence and gives the designer room to do excellent work. The goal is not to force every creative project into an identical shape. It is to make the predictable parts predictable, so your attention stays on strategy, design and problem-solving.
The seven phases of a web design project
1. Enquiry and fit
Capture the project goal, desired launch date, budget range and required services. Decide whether the opportunity fits your expertise and availability. If it does, schedule discovery and define the next action.
2. Discovery and strategy
Clarify the business goal, audience, primary conversion, brand position and technical requirements. Audit the current site when one exists. End discovery with agreed priorities and a concise definition of success.
3. Proposal, contract and kickoff
Turn the strategy into scope, deliverables, timeline, investment and boundaries. Begin work only after the contract and deposit are complete. At kickoff, review responsibilities, communication, feedback rules and milestone dates.
4. Content and structure
Create the sitemap and page goals before polishing visuals. Assign each content item to an owner and deadline. Track copy, images, testimonials, legal text and access credentials separately so missing content is visible early.
5. Design and development
Move through agreed milestones such as direction, homepage, core page system and responsive build. Connect tasks to the relevant milestone. Share work with context and ask focused questions.
6. Quality assurance and launch
Test links, forms, responsive layouts, accessibility basics, metadata, analytics, redirects, performance and browser behavior. Confirm backups and domain access before launch day. Use a written go-live approval.
7. Handoff and follow-up
Provide training, credentials, documentation and the final invoice. Define what is covered after launch and how support requests should be submitted. Schedule a check-in after the client has used the site.
Use milestones, not one giant task list
A flat list hides the story of the project. Group tasks by phase or milestone, give each item an owner and due date, and show dependencies when one deliverable blocks another. Your dashboard should answer three questions immediately: Where are we? What is next? What is blocked?
Control revisions before they control the schedule
Define the number and format of revision rounds in the proposal. Ask the client to consolidate stakeholder feedback into one response. Tie every request back to the approved goal and scope. When a request changes the deliverable, timeline or assumptions, document it as a scope change before proceeding.
Useful project status fields
- Project phase and overall health
- Start date, target launch and next milestone
- Client, project owner and collaborators
- Budget, paid amount and next invoice
- Next action and current blocker
- Linked tasks, meetings, files and decisions
A practical launch checklist
- Final content and legal pages approved
- Forms tested and notifications received
- Mobile, tablet and desktop layouts checked
- Page titles, descriptions and social images added
- Analytics and search verification configured
- Redirects, favicon, backups and SSL confirmed
- Client training and post-launch support documented
Keep the checklist reusable, then add project-specific checks only where needed. A calm launch comes from preparation, not luck.
Run the whole workflow from one place
The Web Designer Business Hub connects your project pipeline, reusable tasks, client records, meetings, proposals and invoices in a polished Notion workspace.
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