Planning Your Project

Project problems are often decided before work starts. The timeline post shows the four client-side things that move a launch date and the stages of a build. The branding post lists seven questions that separate a real brand identity from a logo sold as one.

Use them alongside the Websites & Ecommerce and Brand Identity pages, which state scope and timelines in full. A construction company and an accounting practice each have content, approvals and integrations that set the schedule.

What questions does this topic answer?

• How long does a website take to build, and how long does an online store take?
• What moves a launch date more than anything the builder does?
• What does a brand identity include beyond a logo?
• Which seven questions should I ask before signing a branding contract?
• When is it too early to commission a full identity?

Both posts argue for writing things down early: scope, revision rounds, deliverables and file formats. A project that starts with those agreed has a reference to return to, instead of two memories of what was promised. The posts also name the client-side preparation that shortens a schedule, such as finished content and one named approver.

Planning posts are best read before the first call with a web design company or a branding designer. Read them with a list of what you already have: copy, photography, a name you intend to keep and the places a logo will appear. The gaps in that list are the questions to bring to the first conversation, and they are also the items most likely to move a schedule.

The services these guides relate to state their scope and timelines in full. Websites & Ecommerce covers the site and store builds, and Brand Identity covers the logo, colour and type system, written style guide and source files. The pricing page lists current figures, and the quote form starts a written scope with a reply within one business day.