The most expensive redesigns are the ones that start before anyone knows what they are for. Before you commission a new brand or website, sit down and answer these seven questions. Clear answers make the whole project faster, cheaper, and better.
- What is the one job this needs to do? More visitors, more volunteers, more sales, more trust? Pick the main one.
- Who is it actually for? Describe the specific person you want to reach, not everyone.
- What is working today that we should keep? Do not throw out equity you have already built.
- What is genuinely broken? Be honest about what frustrates people right now.
- What do we want someone to do on the site? Name the action, then design toward it.
- Who will keep it updated? A site nobody maintains ages fast. Plan for it.
- How will we know it worked? Decide what success looks like before you start.
Why this matters
Every one of these questions prevents a common, costly mistake: building something beautiful that does not move the needle. When you can answer them, you are ready to build the right thing the first time.
Working through these is the first thing I do with every client. Want to talk it through?