Checklist: All The Questions You Should Ask Before Building a Website

Alternative Title: Why You Need a UX Designer, Not a Developer

Last year, we hired a local web development firm. They claimed (somewhat misleadingly) to have worked for companies like Dell, and won big awards. Like many web developers, they booked themselves as the full package: UX, UI, graphic design, strategy… the works.

Throughout the process of working with them, the firm surprised me with how little they seemed to understand the vision for the site. Too late, we realized that if we had hired separate UX designers first, we could have saved time, money, and headaches.

If you’re planning to build a website, hire a UX designer first. Many developers believe that they are also designers. They’re often wrong. A real, experienced designer will ask questions you might never think to ask.

High-Level Strategy

• User Personas: What kind of change are users trying to make in their lives? Do they want quick info or deep, long-form content? Emotional or factual? Your users aren’t just a set of demographics. They’re…