How to design a website: a detailed guide

Key stages of website design creation

Before looking for where to create a website design, it's important to define the goals and objectives of your future web resource. It is recommended to:

• define the target audience;
• conduct target audience research;
• understand what features and capabilities should be presented on your platform;
• analyze competitors.

Only after gathering all this information can you proceed to directly creating the design of your future web resource. As we mentioned earlier, this is a complex and multifaceted process that includes the following steps:

Step 1: Planning and creating the site structure

The first step is creating the page structure and the overall resource hierarchy. At this stage, it is important to determine the main sections of the site, their interrelations, and placement on the screen. We recommend using a tool like a 'sitemap' to visualize the user journey across pages and help organize the content logically.

Step 2: Prototyping and wireframing

If you want to understand how to design a website as thoroughly as possible, you can't do without prototyping. A prototype is a schematic representation of the future web resource, which shows the arrangement of blocks, buttons, forms, and other interface elements. At this stage, aesthetics are not the priority; the main goal of the prototype is to show the functional connections between the elements of the future virtual platform.

Step 3: Visual design

After the prototypes are ready and approved, you can proceed to creating the visual design. At this stage, designers choose the color palette, fonts, images, and other graphic elements. It's also important to consider general web design trends, such as minimalism, mobile responsiveness, and UX-oriented design.

Where to design a website?

If you're seriously considering where to design a website, consider the following solutions:

• Figma — an online tool that is perfect for teamwork. It allows multiple users to edit the same project simultaneously, which is especially important for large teams working on complex websites;
• Adobe XD — a more traditional solution, integrated with other Adobe products. Suitable for creating both static layouts and interactive prototypes;
• Sketch — a popular tool for Mac users. This software provides all the necessary tools for creating professional web design, including working with vector graphics and creating UI elements.

The choice of tools for creating a website design depends on your goals and preferences. If you're working in a team and need to ensure collaborative work on the project, Figma will be the best option. For more traditional solutions, Adobe XD and Sketch are great choices.

In what format should you create a website design?

After creating the design, it's important to save it in the correct format so that developers can easily use the layouts. Typically, the following formats are used at this stage:

• Work formats. During the project, layouts are saved in formats supported by the selected programs, such as Figma (.fig), Sketch (.sketch), Adobe XD (.xd).
• Image formats. If you need to export images for use on the website, the most common formats are PNG, JPEG, or SVG. PNG is used for images with transparency, SVG — for vector graphics, and JPEG — for photographs.
• Formats for sharing layouts. In cases where you need to share layouts for discussion or presentation, you can use PDF, which preserves the layout in its original form and is convenient to share with the team or clients.

In conclusion, creating a website design requires careful planning, choosing the right tools, and attention to detail. By using modern programs and platforms, you can effectively bring any ideas to life and make your project successful.