This is actually the responsibility of the project manager or creative director. However you as project owner must take an active role. You have the ability to get the project off to a quick and accurate start by making a few simple design decisions upfront.

Start with the Basics:

Top v. Side navigation: Possibly the single most impactfull aspect of the design. Determine this first. Everything that the designer does will be predicated on this decision. Ultimately it is a personal choice.

Color preferences: You may have personal preferences, or your colors may be pre-ordained by virtue of your logo or other existing collateral material.

Existing marketing material: To help maintain your “brand” consider your existing marketing materials. The web design should integrate seamlessly with your existing brand image…or redefine it. Be prepared to give your project manager samples of any pre-existing materials. Digital samples are always best because they can be easily reproduced.

Examples of existing sites: Nothing helps a designer more than visual examples of existing websites. Be prepared to share your thoughts on other websites that you like or dislike. These examples may not necessarily even be in your industry. In fact there may only be a single aspect of the site that you really like. Make sure that you tell your designer specifically what it is that caught your eye.

The last thing that you want to happen is for your graphics team to burn expensive, project delaying time offering comp after comp hoping that you will like what they do. Voicing your preferences upfront and establishing a dialogue with the project manager can seriously cut development time, save you money, and result in a project that meets your expectations.


Your responsibility:
As the project takes shape the development team will have certain expectations of you. Chief amongst this is the content and timely accurate feedback.

Content: Typically that means images and text. Unless otherwise specified you can expect to provide these items yourself. However most good design teams will offer a library of stock photos, and many have access to quality copywriters and photographers. Note that the single largest project delay is often associated with the client. For the design team to format individual pages they will need to know what they have to work with. If you do not have the time or resources to provide the page content, consider asking your project manager to assign a copywriter to your project.

With the exception of business specific images your design team should be able to provide appropriate stock photos.

Feedback:  Most development teams work in phases where they complete a pre-determined phase of the project and await feedback before they make changes or proceed to the next phase. They typically assume feedback will be forthcoming within a few days and they plan accordingly. It is not uncommon for excessive delay in receiving feedback to result in longer delays as other projects usurp your scheduled production time.



What is Bad Design?

Too much Flash: Improper use of flash is gratuitous and may detract from the purpose of the website. Make sure that flash is used judiciously and not just as “eye candy”.

Pages that are too long: Long pages are subconsciously interpreted as too much work to read. It is much better to break content into multiple, well organized pages.

Pages that are too cramped: Not everything has to be seen all at once to be appreciated. Too much collocated information is in itself a distraction.

Unnecessary repetition: Give your visitor a little credit. Convenient navigation is one thing, but force-feeding it to your visitors is something else.

Too many attention getting devises: If everything is highlighted, then nothing stands out.
www.websitesthatsuck.com (just in case you need additional clarification).