What happens in the design phase
What to expect during the design phase: how we create the visual look of your site, how to review designs, and how to give feedback that moves things forward.
The design phase is where your website starts to take shape visually. Before a single line of code is written, we design how the site will look and feel, and you'll get to review and shape that direction.
What we do in this phase
- Create initial designsHomepage and one or two inner pages
- Share for reviewA link to view the designs
- Gather feedbackYou review and share your thoughts
- Refine and finalizeOne to two rounds of revisions
- Design sign-offThe green light for development
Stage 1 of 5: Create initial designs
Based on what we learned in discovery, we design the key pages of your site, typically the homepage and one or two representative inner pages. These are high-fidelity mockups that show exactly how the site will look.
Stage 3 of 5: Gather feedback
You'll review the designs and share your thoughts. See How to give feedback that gets results for guidance on how to do this effectively.
Stage 4 of 5: Refine and finalize
We incorporate your feedback and present a revised version. Most projects include one to two rounds of design revisions before moving forward.
Stage 5 of 5: Design sign-off
Once you're happy with the direction, you formally approve the designs. This is the green light to move into development.
What we need from you
Your most important job in the design phase is to review designs thoroughly and give clear feedback promptly.
It helps to:
- Look at the designs on multiple devices if possible (desktop and phone)
- Share your feedback in one consolidated round, not in dribs and drabs
- Be specific about what you like, what you don't like, and why
- Distinguish between personal preference and genuine concerns about your audience or brand
See How to give feedback that gets results for a full guide.
Design sign-off matters
Once designs are approved and development begins, making significant visual changes becomes much more costly in time and budget. Take the time to review carefully before signing off.
What about content?
Ideally, real content (your actual words, images, and copy) should be ready before or during the design phase. Designs built around real content always look better than designs built around placeholder text.
If your content isn't ready yet, we'll work with placeholder text, but plan to provide your final content before development ends. See What we need from you for the content checklist.
Common questions
Can I see more than just the homepage design?
Yes. We typically design the homepage plus one or two inner pages to establish the visual system. Additional page designs can be included in scope if needed: discuss this with your project lead.
What if I don't like the initial designs at all?
Tell us: honestly and specifically. That's what the feedback rounds are for. Share what's missing, what feels wrong, and any reference examples that are closer to what you had in mind. A major redirection in round one is far easier to handle than after development starts.
How many revision rounds do I get?
This is defined in your project agreement: typically one to two rounds of revisions. Additional rounds beyond what's included may be scoped as additional work.
Can I change the design after development has started?
Minor adjustments are possible. Major design changes during development (new layouts, new sections, different visual directions) typically affect timeline and budget. We'll always discuss the impact before making significant changes.
I want to show the designs to someone else on my team. How do I share them?
Copy the link we send you and share it directly. If we've invited you to a shared ClickUp space, we can add them there too so they can leave comments in one place. Just ask.
Related guides
Was this page helpful?
Go deeper on chykalophia.com
Need a hand?
Stuck? We'll help.
Email us with your website address and a screenshot if you can, and we’ll take it from there.
Last updated