Bridge the Gap Between Web Design and Development

Governor is an inclusive cloud CMS platform that both web designers and web developers can use. That being said, when working through a complete website design, it’s important that both designers and developers work together, and not in a parallel universe, for a seamless project. Sounds simple, but bridging the gap between both teams can sometimes be confusing or even an afterthought. But, with Governor, it is possible to create an environment where design and development teams can collaborate effectively!

Here are our agency standard suggestions for designers and developers to collaborate successfully

INCLUDE DEVELOPERS ON DAY ONE

Get developers involved, directly with your clients as soon as possible! [Especially on client kick off calls!] Their insight how concepts translate into a web application and how we structure pages might lead to the evolution of a completely different design.

PROTECT THE INITIAL HAND OFF

The handoff from design to dev is sacred! It usually requires designers handing off design files created and the developer converting those designs into HTML.

DESIGN FILES – STAY ORGANIZED

1. When handing off a design file, label every single layer.
2. Group layers based on sections on the page.
3. Use smart objects/layers. It helps create layer groups easily for different sections within the website that developers can easily use by double clicking on the layer that opens into a new tab.
4. Use color coding to indicate hover states, click states, and other interactive elements.

WALK THROUGH THE DESIGNS

It might seem redundant at first but it helps you cover minute details that might be missed during actual development.

BE RESPONSIVE, BUT THINK RESPONSIVE

While communication is important [see below], for this situation, we’re talking responsive design. Think about how the application will read on all devices. Consider font types, relative compositions and how these assets would look on mobile, tablet and desktop.

DEVELOPER HAND OFF

Once a developer turn the designs into HTML, the design and web page are almost never identical. Things like the font spacing being off or images not being aligned are common issues.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

Communication is culture first, tools next. Have an open culture for easy communication. Anyone should be able to reach out to anyone within an organization for easy information flow.

CREATE PROJECT TEAMS OVER FUNCTIONAL TEAMS

Cross functional teams are the secret to a successful website build from start to finish. Have these teams co-habitat if you can! [Communication is key, remember?]

BE A TREND SETTER

Share interesting articles, apps and information on design with your entire team. As for developers, being up to date on the methods of implementation is essential, but sharing high level info with your designers can save you some time in future projects as well!