Behind-the-Scenes: Showit Web Design Process

Let me guess — you’ve outgrown your DIY brand & website. That’s something you should be proud of.

You’re ready for more and you deserve it. But to make it all come together, you’ll need a few things. Maybe it’s branding that finally feels like someone read your mind, a website that tell your story, or a sounding board and hype woman to help turn those big ideas into a kick-ass brand. Whatever you need, you are so in the right place.

While we’ll be covering my web design process here, my approach and philosophy also apply to branding, copywriting, monthly support, and all the other options for getting some well-deserved business backup.

Here at Unbridled Form, my process follows four important guidepoints:

• Your experience is my priority. I wholeheartedly want you to enjoy and embrace the journey of discovering how you want to present your brand to the world.
• Freedom is at the heart of everything I do. My goal is to help you build a sustainable business that supports adventure, growth, and connection.
• I want you to feel inspired by and aligned with your business. We’ll get there with a whole lot of self-discovery and a little bit of risk.
• I charge what my time is worth and honor boundaries so I can provide the best possible client experience, while doing what I love and living a full life. I encourage you to do the same.

Taking this step to invest in yourself and in your business is a huge step, and I’m not here to waste your time or money. So let’s dig in and see what the process really looks like.

Inquiry and Booking

If you’re interested in starting a project with me, the first step is to reach out through my contact form. We’ll start the conversation about what’s working for you, what needs improvement, and pricing. Then we’ll jump on a 15-minute video call to determine which package is the right fit for your needs and budget.

After our video call, I’ll send you a detailed proposal outlining my recommendations to best meet your goals, a contract, an invoice, and next steps. The design services contract is a great tool to set a tone of mutual respect and healthy boundaries throughout our project, to ensure we’re getting the most out of our collaboration.

Discovery and Planning

There’s a reason my clients say “how did you read my mind??” and “I feel PROUD of this.” Before we start any design or writing work, I’ll take every step necessary with you to ensure we’re on the same page when it comes to your vision.

I’ll send along an extensive questionnaire before our project starts, so I can get to know you and your business better and we can hit the ground running when it comes time. It covers all the basics and some deeper aspects of your business like:

• Who is NOT your ideal client?
• How do you want people to feel when they encounter your brand? Inspired and educated? Motivated and challenged? Welcome and safe?
• How do you feel when you encounter a potential customer or client within your niche? Are you excited? Ready to solve their problems? Maybe their product or service offering is something you’ve used forever and you’re hyped to help them out and share their offering with the world!
• What’s the best testimonial or review you’ve ever received?

It also has a few visual choices to get the conversation started around design style. Below is one of four vibes that you’ll choose from. You’ll have the opportunity to describe what you like about it and what is missing.

I’ll also send along access to our project management area. All of our tasks, deliverables, review checkpoints, and timelines will be laid out here so you can check in on the status of our project whenever you’d like.

Our project management area will show specific tasks and guidance on where to upload brand photography, copywriting, and any other content you may already have. If you don’t have that stuff already, no worries. I’m happy to help with all of it — minus taking the photos myself. But, I am willing to provide photography guidelines that describe the kind of shots we’ll need for your site, including tips for getting really natural, candid images that are a far cry from a stuffy headshot.

Finally, you’ll get a secure shared file where you can share your login information for the website platform, URL host, social accounts (optional), email list platform (optional), and whatever else is within the scope of your project.

Concept Review

Some designers will go right from the questionnaire to building out a home page. But both our time is valuable and I like to make sure we’re laying a really meaningful foundation.

So, I start with a concept board. A concept board is like a mood board, but better. It spells out the strategy and theory behind each design choice.

You’ll have an opportunity to review and provide feedback — so we get this phase right before we move onto any actual website design.

Home Page Review

Once the concept is approved, I’ll design a home page for your review. You’ll be able to see how our vision is coming together with the top navigation, colors, buttons, and overall flow. I’ll again share the strategy and intention behind each design choice and why it’s a good fit for your goals and audience.

You’ll have an opportunity to provide feedback, but so far my clients and I have nailed it after one revision, if not right off the bat!

Build the Rest of the Site

I design with a mobile-first philosophy. So I start designing the mobile version of each page before I move on to the desktop.

One of the reasons I LOVE Showit for building websites is the ability to design a completely independent mobile experience. (But it’s also a great way to have full creative control of your site with zero coding — which means it’s less expensive to maintain and you can totally manage it yourself! Although I’m always down to support you long-term.)

I’ll create both the mobile and desktop experiences of your site for your review. We’ll make sure we’re telling your story in the most “you” way possible and then add all the finishing touches that we agreed upon at the start of your project. Usually, that’s SEO, email list integration, and connecting your website to your URL.

Launch!

At this point, we’re going to be on the edge of our freaking seats, ready to share our work with the world.

We’ll review everything over a video call and I’ll introduce you to your launch packet which includes:

• All the links to any supplementary photos, logos, font files, and brand guidelines so you have all the tools for keeping your brand experience consistent across any other audience touchpoints, like social accounts and email.
• The link to The Unbridled Form Resource Center, which is full of how-tos for managing your Showit site, sourcing additional photos, and more.
• A detailed service list that outlines all the ways we can continue collaborating, should you want ongoing backup and support. You know, for when you launch that course or podcast in the future and need a badass webpage or messaging strategy to share it with the world!
• A testimonial request so you have the opportunity to provide feedback about the process and your experience. No sugar-coating! Your honesty helps me provide you with the best possible experience going forward.
• Information about my affiliate program. I know how valuable it is for you to share your experience with others who could benefit from these services and resources!
• Complimentary launch graphics so you can announce your new online experience with your audience!

Are you hyped? Because I’m hyped.

Honestly, I’m fired up just from sharing this process with you. This entire business was built on my love of connecting and growing with other creatives and trailblazers so I would LOVE to hear if this resonated with you. Drop me a message below in the comments and let’s chat about it!

I’m also happy to tailor packages specifically to your needs, so it’s all good if one of my service offerings doesn’t immediately jump out at you as exactly what you need in this moment. Shoot me a message and we’ll create a package that gets you where you need to go.