How to use When to use For whom Planning pitfalls Reaching deadlines

FREE Web Design Process Template

Master web design project plan timelines with our intuitive web design process template project plan Gantt chart template.

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Gantt chart template

Why use our Web Design Process Template instead of Excel or Google Sheets?

Get started with our Web Design Process Template in seconds while skipping the hassle involved with Excel or Google Sheets.

Build Gantt charts in minutes, not hours.

Build Gantt charts in minutes, not hours.

No project management experience? No problem. Tom's Planner offers a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface that's intuitive and easy to learn. Creating Gantt charts is a breeze, saving you time and effort. Compare that to the time-consuming, frustrating, manual formatting-intensive process of building a Gantt chart in Excel or Google Sheets.

Create a Gantt chart in minutes, not hours

Move at the pace of modern business with no learning curve or Googling formulas.

Good luck figuring out how to make a Gantt chart work in Excel or Google Sheets. Excel’s user manual weighs in at a hefty 500+ pages. It takes just five minutes with Tom’s Planner to start planning your first real project plan.

Create a Gantt chart in minutes, not hours

Headache-free collaboration and sharing.

Tom's Planner offers powerful options for sharing and collaborating on Gantt charts, including public links, PDF exports, and team access with customizable permission levels. It’s never been easier to communicate or ensure everyone’s on the same page. Compare that to Excel, where sharing and collaboration mean jumping through hoop after hoop and dealing with confusion and chaos.

How to use Tom’s Planner’s web design process template to build and share your website project.

Getting your project off the ground is as easy as 1-2-3.

Step #1

Click the 'start with template’ button to open the Web Design Process Template.

Step #2

Register for a free account and watch a short video on using Tom’s Planner. The account is free forever, with no strings attached.

Step #3

You’re all set to use the Gantt chart template. Need additional help? Our AI assistant can create a custom Gantt chart Web Design Process Template based on your project description.

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What is a web design process template?

Designing a website is no small undertaking. It includes multiple steps, deep dives into the brand the website represents, and the cooperation of many different teams and professionals. You must have a guide that helps the project move forward smoothly while helping you avoid pitfalls and problems. A web design process template is that guide.

You can think of a web design process template as an outline of the steps necessary to complete the project. That might include:

  • Logo design
  • Website layout and structure
  • Image creation
  • Colors and fonts chosen
  • Plugins identified and installed
A web design process Gantt chart template helps you plan more accurately

While you can use Excel or Google Sheets in your web development workflow process, spreadsheets aren’t the right tool for the job. A web design process Gantt chart template like Tom’s Planner empowers your planning capabilities while offering considerable flexibility and providing clarity throughout the project.

When to use a web design process template

Using a web design process template is essential in many stages of the project. Some of these times include:

Ideation Phase:

The ideation phase is when overarching themes are developed, the audience is identified, and brand specifics are communicated. A web design process template helps ensure that teams and clients are aligned.

Design Phase:

The design phase is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. Here, designers and developers will build on elements decided on in the ideation phase, following the web design process specified.

Development Phase:

The development phase requires design and development teams to communicate while creating a cohesive whole by creating the front and back-end platforms, visual elements, and more.

A web design process Gantt chart template like Tom’s Planner simplifies planning while ensuring ease of communication and assigning design and development-related tasks.

Who should use a web design process template?

The web design process template is a powerful communication and productivity tool when used correctly. So, who should use it? Here are some of those who will need access:

Project Managers:

Project managers will use the web production process template to assign tasks, plan stages, and communicate with stakeholders both within the company and within the client organization.

Designers and Developers:

Designers and developers will use the web development workflow process to understand tasks assigned to them, synch their tasks with other teams and team members, and communicate with different stakeholders.

Clients:

Clients should be able to access the web design process documentation to understand the overall flow and stay engaged and on the same page.

Using a Gantt chart like Tom’s Planner can help improve results by empowering your ability to plan, assign tasks, communicate accurately, and ensure accountability across the entire project.

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The top three pitfalls to avoid when planning a website design process

Website design projects can be massive undertakings. Avoiding the following pitfalls will help ensure the best outcome possible:

  1. Not Starting Your Planning with a Clear Discovery Process

    Clients have a specific goal in mind, but it’s not always clear what that is to designers and developers. Failing to get on the same page could result in wasted time and money.

    Solution:

    Have a clear, accurate discovery process that starts with a consultation to learn about the client and their expectations, as well as to answer questions.

  2. Not Asking for Brand Assets

    Most of your clients will have specific brand assets, like colors, language, typography, and more. Not asking about these assets could result in a less-than-stellar website.

    Solution:

    Always ask about brand assets and then incorporate those into the website design.

  3. Not Asking for Reference Sites

    What types of sites does the client like? What functionalities do they prefer? What navigation styles do they like? Not having this information could mean adding cost and time to the project.

    Solution:

    Get reference sites from your client, as well as specifics about what they like regarding those sites, to inform your design efforts.

What does a web design process template include?

Your web design process Gantt chart template should be customized to the specific project in question. Every website development project is different, but using a Gantt chart allows you to plan things like:

  1. Project Initiation:

    Getting your web design project off on the right foot is critical. Project initiation should include steps like identifying stakeholders, developing a project plan, and identifying success criteria. Outline all of this within your web design process & project management template.

  2. Concept Development:

    A business’s website must reflect its brand, so the concept development stage is critical. This phase should include things like brainstorming, identifying key messages, choosing color schemes and typography, developing a navigation structure, and creating wireframes.

  3. Design Planning:

    During the design planning phase, you’ll plan things like design strategy, while also developing the site map, detailing design specifications, organizing design elements, developing mockups, and finalizing the overall design plan. This is a critical phase to get right, as everything else depends on it.

  4. Graphic Designing:

    Creating a custom website is an in-depth process that will require custom iconography, background elements, buttons, calls-to-action, page layouts, and the incorporation of branding elements. Avoid the temptation to use generic graphics - custom is always the better option. If you have existing graphic assets, make sure they’re high enough quality for the job but not so large that they reduce website load time.

  5. Interface Design:

    This stage will involve planning the menu structure, developing navigation patterns, creating interactive elements, designing mobile interfaces, and testing usability.

When used correctly, a web design process Gantt chart template like Tom’s Planner helps ensure that you’re able to plan, assign tasks, and ensure visibility across the entire project.

Four tips on how to make sure you reach your deadlines

1. Set Milestones and Deadlines

The most important tip to ensure that you’re able to reach your deadlines is to set them in the first place. Create deadlines and milestones in your web design process and then update the document when things evolve.

2. Make Sure Responsibilities Are Clear

You can’t reach your deadlines if your team members aren’t clear on what their responsibilities are. Make sure that each team is clear on their responsibilities and how those dovetail with other teams’ tasks.

3. Automate Manual Tasks

Manual tasks are time-consuming and prone to error. Automating as many of these as possible will help speed up your processes, improve accuracy, and eliminate hurdles.

4. Keep Your Client Involved

Client communication is an essential ingredient to success. It doesn’t matter if you make your deadline if the client isn’t happy with the website design. Keep them involved and communicate at key steps along the path from ideation all the way through final testing and website rollout.

Gantt charts in Tom's Planner vs in Excel

Excel Tom's Planner
Cost License required Free version available
Learning curve Hours Minutes
Create your first Gantt chart Hours Minutes
Making an update in your chart Several minutes Seconds (drag & drop)
Sharing charts with others At some point you will save and email a file titled: version_4_def_usethisversion_reallyfinal.xlsx Online, one source of truth, always up to date, with no confusion
Look & Feel Messy Clean, polished and professional
Dependencies
Filtering
Zoom in/out
Automatic Legend
AI-assist Let our AI assist do the work for you
Export to image or pdf Requires workarounds to export One mouse click

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