The process of designing a website

In this digital world, our primary source of information is the internet. Whenever we want to find the answer to a question, look for a cute outfit to wear out, and even for basic entertainment, we go straight to our favorite search engine and find the perfect website. But even though websites are so easily accessible to us, have you ever thought about the process of making one? If not, don’t worry because it can be overwhelming to even think about but I am going to break it down into the major 4 steps that even professional web developers use to create websites.

PLANNING: Before we get into any coding it is imperative that we plan out what our website’s function is going to be as well as how users can benefit from it. Taking into consideration the target audience is vital since the website is designed for users whether it may be a certain niche or the general public. Often times developers utilize a software called Figmathat is typically used to create wireframes (a diagram that shows the basic structure of a website) and mockups of how the layout of the website will normally be.

DESIGN: Now we are in the design stage. Again, knowing your audience is so crucial in the process because it is ultimately made for them. So thinking about a clear aesthetic for the website as well as a color palette will not only affect how the user interacts with the website but will also make the development stage much easier. A logo, images, and typography (style of text such as font and font style) are great ways to make a website stick out and appeal to the public and indirectly give insight into what information the website provides. Thinking about the devices people will access on this website is essential to setting up the layout. Always think about making the website compatible with mobile and desktop devices.

DEVELOPMENT: The longest stage in the design process is typically the actual development. Developing a functional website can take days to weeks and even months. First off, you’ll want to choose a framework that offers web services, web resources, and web APIs(application programming interface, which is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other). Writing your code and continuously checking functionality is crucial in detecting and eliminating bugs in your code as before they also become impossible to find. If you don’t know how to code you could utilize the software Bootstrap to paste clocks of code. YouTube is another great resource to help you write your code.

LAUNCH: Launching your web application is an exciting stage. This is where you will do your final testing and finally transfer your web page to a live server so the public has access to it. Even after launch, it is imperative to update and revisit the website to ensure that it is easily accessible to users.