Rather more than most clients expect — which is exactly why the process matters.

A custom website project moves through eight distinct stages: discovery and strategy, site structure and planning, creative direction, design development, the build itself, content integration, testing and refinement, and finally launch. Each phase builds directly on the one before it. Skip or rush an early stage and the consequences show up later — usually at the worst possible moment.

The early stages are where the real thinking happens. Before a single page is designed, we need to understand your business, your audience, your competitive landscape and what the site actually needs to achieve commercially. That clarity is what separates a website that looks good from one that performs. Design without strategy is just decoration.

From there, the process becomes increasingly tangible — structure, then visual direction, then detailed design, then build. At every stage we work closely with you, presenting our thinking clearly and refining based on your feedback. The collaboration doesn’t stop when the designs are approved; it continues through development, content, and the final checks before launch.

One thing we’re particularly deliberate about: we style everything. Every page, every form, every interaction — including the 404. The details are where a premium website earns its distinction.

We’ve written a full breakdown of each stage and what to expect from it — including the questions worth asking your studio before a project begins. You can read it here: What happens during a website project? →