Web development services
Before we start designing the site graphically, we need to know two things: what subpages are to be on the site and what will be on each of them. That's why we start every project with a site map, and then create a mockup - low-fi wireframes showing the layout of sections on each subpage. Together, these two elements form the information architecture of the project.
This is the stage that determines the success of the entire site. Without a site map and mockup, the graphic design is just guesswork.
A sitemap is a hierarchical list of all the subpages on a site - the main page, service subpages, blog categories, support subpages. It defines what goes to the main menu, what goes to the footer, what are the relationships between subpages.
This is the first document we create after customer needs research. Without a site map, it's not clear how many subpages we're making or what their scope is. The client gets the map as a diagram that can be shown to the team, commented on and approved before further work.
The sitemap also directly affects SEO and navigation. A logical pyramid (home page → categories → service sub-pages) strengthens the positioning of the most important sub-pages and makes it easier for the user to reach information in 2-3 clicks.
Once the sitemap is approved, we move on to the mockup. A mockup of a website is a graphical skeleton of each sub-page showing the layout of the sections - no color scheme, no brand fonts, no pre-made graphics. It determines where the hero is, where the services section is, where testimonials, contact form. It shows the structure, not the look.
For each sub-page from the sitemap, we create an outline of the layout - the order of sections from top to bottom, the scope of content in each section, the hierarchy of headings.
The customer gets the information: here is a hero with a slogan and a CTA, here three blocks about services, here a section with customer reviews, here a contact form. No specific texts, no graphics - just a framework that needs to be supplemented with content. This is the material on which we start content.
The mockup is not another stage „to be ticked off” - it is a working document that determines the success of the entire project. It serves three functions:
The client gets a mock-up from us and sees what sections are on each subpage, how much text will fit there, what is missing. As a result, we do not write generic texts, but ones that fit perfectly into the structure of the site and specific places in the layout.
At the mockup stage, it often turns out that an additional element is needed - an FAQ section, a subpage with a process, an additional CTA. It's easier to add this in a sketch than on a finished graphic design.
Correcting the layout in a low-fi mockup is a few minutes. Correcting the same on an approved design in Figma or on a deployed site - hours of work.
