Some background information regarding my questions:
I studies graphic design at university and one of our classes throughout the years was website design. Here we were taught to design the layouts of websites, and after we learned to develop them in Wordpress. We also studied HTML and CSS and JavaScript so that we can customise Wordpress sites. We never used pre built themes. For the school projects we had to find bad design websites on the internet, make a presentation on why they are bad, and redesign the layout of the sites, after build them using Wordpress. For the content we had to use imagery from stock photo libraries and for the text we used placeholder text. So the content for these school projects was sourced by us. We learned that in real life projects content which is imagery and text is always provided by the client.
This is where it gets confusing to me, and I would like to ask experienced designers some questions regarding this. This is the reason I’m asking the following questions, because I would like to do freelance website design in the future, and the getting the content part of the design process is unclear and confusing to me. I would like to ask the following questions regarding this. I apologise for the lengthy post. I appreciate all the answers provided. Thank you for your time and effort.
1.
Who decides what images are used in a website’s layout design, the client or the designer ?
Hypothetically I have to design a website for an Italian restaurant, do I have to give very specific instructions to the client about each image that he needs to send me. For example instruct the client to send me an image for the hero header section of the website, which should be 1280px by 720px and has to display a pizza which is on the right hand side of a brown wooden table with some tomatoes scattered around it and some white flour sprinkled around it, makes sure there is nothing on the left side because this is where the title and sub title will be located. Then repeat this process for all of the other images required for the website?
Or do I use any image the client provides me for the hero image, and also for the rest of the images?
Or do we decide what the images look like and their composition together with the client?
Do I make this decision entirely on my own, choosing all of the imagery from stock photography?
Does the client hire a photographer who shoots the images? In this case do I just use the images sent to me by the photographer, or do I have to work together with the photographer instructing the photographer what I need, giving him specific instructions about what each images should look like and display?
2.
Who decides what is the written text or the body copy in the website, the text which is in the titles, sub-titles, paragraphs, and in the call to action buttons?
Does the client decide what all of the written text will be?
Does the client have to hire a copywriter who will create all of this?
Do I the designer have to create all of this?
3.
At which stage of the website design process we have to have all of the content (text and imagery) ready from the client? At school we learned that content has to be ready before we start making the website’s UI design, because we will use the text and imagery sent by the client at this stage. These final designs will be 100% accurate and represent how the developed website will look in the browser once online. We learned that before doing all of this, first we have to do some low-fidelity sketches with pen and paper, these show the structure, layout of each web page, and all of the page elements. Next based on the sketches we made, we make wireframes using software like UX Pin or Balsamiq. These wireframes are very basic, monochrome in colour, they use dummy text and the images are represented by a rectangle with a cross through it. We learned that once the client approves these wireframes and we received all the content from them, we start the final UI design, in school we used Adobe XD for this process.
My question regarding this is, should we have all of the content ready from our client before we start the sketching process ?
I am confused about this because I researched on the internet and so far found information that states you should have all content ready at the very beginning, even before you start making the website layout sketches. But I remember the teacher telling us in school, that once the wireframes created with UX Pin or Balsamiq are approved by the client, we then send the client a list of content needed based on those wireframes, and once we receive all of the content we use that to make the final UI designs with Adobe XD.
Based on what do you decide the type and amount of content (text and imagery) needed to be gathered from the client?
I studies graphic design at university and one of our classes throughout the years was website design. Here we were taught to design the layouts of websites, and after we learned to develop them in Wordpress. We also studied HTML and CSS and JavaScript so that we can customise Wordpress sites. We never used pre built themes. For the school projects we had to find bad design websites on the internet, make a presentation on why they are bad, and redesign the layout of the sites, after build them using Wordpress. For the content we had to use imagery from stock photo libraries and for the text we used placeholder text. So the content for these school projects was sourced by us. We learned that in real life projects content which is imagery and text is always provided by the client.
This is where it gets confusing to me, and I would like to ask experienced designers some questions regarding this. This is the reason I’m asking the following questions, because I would like to do freelance website design in the future, and the getting the content part of the design process is unclear and confusing to me. I would like to ask the following questions regarding this. I apologise for the lengthy post. I appreciate all the answers provided. Thank you for your time and effort.
1.
Who decides what images are used in a website’s layout design, the client or the designer ?
Hypothetically I have to design a website for an Italian restaurant, do I have to give very specific instructions to the client about each image that he needs to send me. For example instruct the client to send me an image for the hero header section of the website, which should be 1280px by 720px and has to display a pizza which is on the right hand side of a brown wooden table with some tomatoes scattered around it and some white flour sprinkled around it, makes sure there is nothing on the left side because this is where the title and sub title will be located. Then repeat this process for all of the other images required for the website?
Or do I use any image the client provides me for the hero image, and also for the rest of the images?
Or do we decide what the images look like and their composition together with the client?
Do I make this decision entirely on my own, choosing all of the imagery from stock photography?
Does the client hire a photographer who shoots the images? In this case do I just use the images sent to me by the photographer, or do I have to work together with the photographer instructing the photographer what I need, giving him specific instructions about what each images should look like and display?
2.
Who decides what is the written text or the body copy in the website, the text which is in the titles, sub-titles, paragraphs, and in the call to action buttons?
Does the client decide what all of the written text will be?
Does the client have to hire a copywriter who will create all of this?
Do I the designer have to create all of this?
3.
At which stage of the website design process we have to have all of the content (text and imagery) ready from the client? At school we learned that content has to be ready before we start making the website’s UI design, because we will use the text and imagery sent by the client at this stage. These final designs will be 100% accurate and represent how the developed website will look in the browser once online. We learned that before doing all of this, first we have to do some low-fidelity sketches with pen and paper, these show the structure, layout of each web page, and all of the page elements. Next based on the sketches we made, we make wireframes using software like UX Pin or Balsamiq. These wireframes are very basic, monochrome in colour, they use dummy text and the images are represented by a rectangle with a cross through it. We learned that once the client approves these wireframes and we received all the content from them, we start the final UI design, in school we used Adobe XD for this process.
My question regarding this is, should we have all of the content ready from our client before we start the sketching process ?
I am confused about this because I researched on the internet and so far found information that states you should have all content ready at the very beginning, even before you start making the website layout sketches. But I remember the teacher telling us in school, that once the wireframes created with UX Pin or Balsamiq are approved by the client, we then send the client a list of content needed based on those wireframes, and once we receive all of the content we use that to make the final UI designs with Adobe XD.
Based on what do you decide the type and amount of content (text and imagery) needed to be gathered from the client?
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
