Iterative web design and web development process
The process of web design and web development is anything but linear. Sometimes we might get confused because the term “workflow” seems to be a linear flow of process but throughout the life of a project, we all add value along the way. The process is organic and, most importantly, iterative. Workflow among team members is the most critical component for success on any project, and what facilitates a healthy team – is clear and effective communication with everyone involved.
Let’s explore what iterative process is exactly for developers and web designers.
First we collaboratively start with the basic building blocks: Where is the navigation? Where is the main content? Where do I put this function or that function in the application? These basic building blocks are the formation of the overall wireframe of the site — the architectural plan for the structure and methodology of how the end user will consume the site, application, or content. An iterative development strategy is defined as building functionality over time. An iterative design strategy evolves and moves the design idea further along through incremental steps, once the basic building blocks are in place.
This is the ultimate process, which greatly hinges on collaboration. How each individual piece interacts with everything else, will define whether the site has a cohesive and fluid user interface design. The web designers and the web developers must be open to flexibility in their work, and the work of others, so they can integrate the various components, designs, and code efficiently at the end.
Why do other processes too often fail?
In the old way of design and development, a web designer and developer start from a detailed specification and then go off on their own to begin the design and development process. Usually, the specification doesn’t accommodate all of the user cases of the design or functionality, so they adapt the functionality as they work to meet the requirements. The problem is that the design and development are happening separately — independently of one another — so when the design and functionality meet at the end, they are incompatible with one another and need to be updated to resolve the differences.
How do we do this effectively when we need a well-defined scope-of-work and an accurate budget?
This is where our “discovery” and “define” stages in the process are so important. If we effectively map out or main objectives and realize our strategy, we can therefore create a granular scope-of-work and estimate accordingly. Now it is up to us to find the most streamlined approach to make it come to life. Everything is an evolution, even our perception of what will be conceived in web design and web development. We create our functionality, based on our needs and objectives which were defined in the discovery stage. As functionality evolves, the future iterative steps can adapt to meet the updated requirements.
Trial and error will make this process, with your web design and web development team, flawless. The ultimate goal is to get your team to work well together — successful team communication and collaboration are what ultimately make your project a success.
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